A Beautiful Kind of Ugly
by The Wolf Who Walks Alone
Summary: Takes place in medieval times, where witches and dragons live. Max is a princess who has been rejected by everyone, and Fang is a freak, who strikes fear into the hearts of peasants and kings alike. Will fate ever let them be together? FAX!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! So… I'm bored, and dressed as Maximum Ride, wings, hair, everything. I just love Halloween. Anyways, here's a new fic! I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer, though I do own the costume, I don't own Max Ride…**

Prologue…

"Since you wouldn't spare a potato sack, forever shall your daughter carry wings on her back, but if she loves he who is handsome, brave and true, then her curse shall be removed." The old 'widow' said.

The King and Queen could only watch in horror as blue fire curled around their helpless only daughter. The baby sneezed, and the fire dissipated, but the wings on the newborn's back twitched.

The Queen stared in uttermost shock at her once beautiful daughter, who was now disfigured by a brown and white pair of wings. Oh, why didn't she give that old hag lady a sack of potatoes?

The old woman, who is now obviously a witch, cackled maniacally and dissipated in a thick cloud of sulfurous smoke. The baby girl's chocolate brown eyes blinked in innocence as she gingerly touched her soft downy feathers.

_She is the only heir to the throne!_ The King thought in woe. _She couldn't rule if she was a freak, a misfit. What if the rest of the kingdom found out? The monarchy would be overthrown and total anarchy would take over the land._

The Queen wept at their misfortune. Then, she had a brilliant idea. When their daughter was ten, she could be left in a deserted castle and guarded by a dragon. Then, Princes and knights from far and near would rescue her and she would be ridded of the dreadful curse.

The little winged princess cooed from her golden encrusted crib.

"Maidservant!" The Queen called. A thin girl traipsed into the room.

"Yes, my Queen?" the maid asked as she curtsied.

"Take princess Max into her chambers. Make sure that no one sees or hears of her, or you shall be beheaded!" the Queen said sternly. The maid bobbed her head and fled the room, with princess Maximum Ride in her frail arms, wings and all.

"Oh, It's alright sweetie. You're not a monster. You're beautiful, and nothing that anyone says will change that." said a woman who was beautiful, but was wearing tattered clothes. The woman was a poor apothecary, and lived in a small brick cottage with her only son, who she was cradling in her arms. The boy looked at his mother, with tears in his mesmerizing dark eyes. His black hair was shaggy and unkempt. There were bruises forming on his thin arms.

He was only three, but has been called horrible insults, and had stones hurled at him multiple times before. He wasn't ugly, no matter what anyone else says.

The boy encased himself with his little black wings. They were the reason that he was beat up today. Some kids were harassing him, and then they saw his wings. They pelted him with stones all the way home.

Now they had to move again. Nobody would but herbs and medicines from someone who has a 'monster' for a son.

"Fang, sweetheart. It'll be alright. You're wings are beautiful and never be ashamed of them. Those kids just don't understand, that's all." The woman said. Fang blinked his round, obsidian eyes.

"Here. I have a special treat for you." The woman said as she handed Fang a small roll. Fang's eyes widened as he observed his feast. Fang suddenly broke the roll in unequal halves, and held out the larger half in his small hands.

"No, Fang. It's for you." the woman said. Fang shook his head, and his black hair swished back and fourth.

The woman reluctantly took the bread. Fang was so stubborn. He would have stood there all night until she took the bread. He was just like his father that way. She sighed. Fang would have more to eat if his father was still alive.

No one knows how Fang got his wings, his father or mother certainly didn't have them, but she always believed that they were a gift. Despite the cumbersome task of moving around all the time, she still loved Fang and his wings.

Fang scrambled outside before his mother could give the piece of bread back. Fang nibbled on his piece of bread, and snuck out to the woods. He was as silent as a shadow.

Fang watched baby birds learn to fly as he finished off his supper. He then realized that it was almost dark, and his mother worried if he stayed out later than that. Fang scampered down the well worn trail to his home in the outskirts of the village.

His eyes widened in horror as his house was burning in hungry red flames. Fang's eyes were wide with fear, and he dashed into his smoldering home. He listened, but all he heard was the roaring of the flames. Then, he heard a faint cry. Fang bolted to the sound of the cry to find his mother trapped under a pile of rubble.

Fang struggled to pull his mother out, but it was futile. It would take too long to dig her out. Fang held his mother's hand.

"Fang, Go!" his mother croaked. Fang shook his head vigorously. Her face was smudged with ash and her voice was hoarse from the thick smoke. The straw roof was threatening to fall in.

"It's no use! Get out of here! Go! Run into the woods and don't look back!" she whispered. Her eyes closed, and she never moved again.

"Mom?" Fang asked as he gently tugged on her limp arm. "Mommy? Please, don't go! Wake up!" tears carved paths through the ashes on Fang's cheeks.

Then, the whole flaming straw ceiling collapsed on a moment later, Fang burst through the rubble. He took off into the air like a bird would.

"There's the freak! The monster! Get it!" shouted a soldier clad in armor. Three other soldiers both bore torches and swords. Them. They had burned his house and killed his mother. Fang snarled viscously as he dived down and attacked the soldiers from the air.

Fang managed to kick one soldier in the face, but another slashed wildly with his sword at Fang, and sliced him across the stomach. A burning pain seared his stomach aea and red blood oozed from the wound. Tears fell from Fangs eyes once again as he fled into the dark woods.

"The little monster is retreating! Wimpy coward. Come and fight like a man!" a soldier shouted at Fang.

_Well, I'm not a man. I'm a monster. You've made that very clear._ Fang thought as he flew into the comforting arms of the forest. Heartbroken, injured, and orphaned, Fang had no place to go.

**Yeah, A little sad, but gets far better! Please give this story a chance to progress! This is going to be a tad like Shrek, but was less predictable! REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I made a HUGE MISTAKE! For those of you who were confused, I posted the wrong chapter for this chapter. I am SOOOO EMBARRASSED! Please, forgive me! Here's THE REAL, CHAPTER TWO!**

**Sorry that it's been so late, but I have had a ton of projects to work on this week! Anyways I had soooo many people subscribe/review/ add to favorites! YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY ROCK! **

**Disclaimer: Maximum Ride is not mine, no matter how much I wish otherwise!**

Max etched today's date into the cold stone wall. Today was her sixteenth birthday. It had been nine years since her parents had exiled her to this place.

Max's chocolate brown eyes scanned herself in the full length mirror. Nudge, Max's thirteen year old friend who might as well be her sister, had picked her outfit. Max's dress was a midnight blue, with little silver etchings around the edges of her skirt.

Nudge knew her too well. Out of all the frilly dresses that Max owned, this was by far, her favorite. It reminded her of the cool, clear night sky. Since no one was looking, Max let her wings free of their merciless bounds. It hurt quite a bit when her wings were crushed tightly against her back. Max scowled at her brown and ivory wings. She wished that they would vanish. Then she could be normal, like her beautiful friend, Nudge.

Nudge had an exotic, outlander skin tone with dark brown curly hair framing her heart shaped face. Light, happy eyes and her constant chattering mouth were just a few of Nudge's attractive attributes. Max wished that she was like Nudge.

If looks could kill, Max's wings would have been seared off. Well, there was one way that her wings could disappear. That would be if her handsome, brave and kind prince showed up and rescued her from the tower. That is, if the prince didn't run home screaming for mama when he saw her thirteen and a half foot wingspan. That's happened on multiple occasions.

Finally, last year, Max had given up on love, because who could love a freak with wings? If she was going to escape the curse, she was going to save herself.

"Max? Where are you? I made a special breakfast!" a light, melodic voice sang from down the hall. Nudge. Max abruptly snapped her wings to her back and fumbled to contain them beneath their bonds.

Nudge knew that Max had wings, but Max hated for anyone, even Nudge to see her disgraceful wings.

"Max? If you don't come out, I'm coming in!" Nudge proclaimed as she marched in. Max couldn't reach the last straps on her bodice.

"Here, let me help you with that!" Nudge said as she scurried over and hastily laced the rest of the straps on the back of Max's dress.

"That dress is very flattering on you!" said Nudge sweetly. Max smiled and hugged her friend.

"You look nice too, Nudge." Max commented. Nudge's eyes lit up like they always did when she brought up the subject of clothes. Nudge twirled around, making the lacey, sparkly dress bubble around her.

"Really? Because I was going to wear the pink dress with the cream lace, but then I decided that it was too informal. I wore this violet one with the sparkles on it instead, since it is your birthday and I wanted it to be special. Oh, by the way I made breakfast! Let's eat!" Nudge said as she hurried down the hall toward the galley.

Yes, she and Nudge were completely alone in the castle. They gardened for food and found dresses in old, abandoned rooms. Well… there was one other inhabitant dwelling in the castle.

Shela, the dragon. Shela was merciless and would kill everyone except for her and Nudge. After all, that was Shela's job; to keep invaders out and to keep Max in.

Max walked down the hall towards the galley. She looked out one window and out to the vast, never-ending wasteland that lay before her. No longer would she wait for a prince to rescue her. Tomorrow night, when the moon was full, Shela would go off to hunt and she would escape that horrid castle once and for all.

A thin, barely noticeable snare snapped closed around another one of it's victims. Silently, as if he had lived with the forest his whole life, Fang emerged from the bush that he was hiding behind.

His obsidian eyes scanned the premises and his black hair was ruffled from never being brushed. His deer-skin clothes helped him blend in with the surroundings even more. He had plenty of lean muscle from working in the woods all the time.

He walked over to his rabbit trap and took the dead rabbit with him. He cautiously checked all sides for spies, but he found none. Suddenly, his nightmare black wings unfurled off of his back and he took off in flight. He couldn't be too careful when he unfurled his wings.

He had already learned his lesson. Once, he took off in flight only to be shot in the thigh by a hunter. Fang had barely escaped that situation. Good thing that his mother was an apothecary. Before she had died, she had taught him a bunch of useful remedies that could be made from things in the forest where he now lived.

He had given up on living with normal people the day that his mother was killed. Humans didn't want a monster living among them.

Fang flew up to the house that he had built high up in a tree. In fact, the house was so high, that no man could climb up to get him. He did get visits from the occasional squirrel, though. Fang landed soundlessly on his porch. His house blended seamlessly with the canopy of trees. It took him a while, but Fang had built this house when he had first came into the woods. Gradually, the house expanded in size over time.

It was almost dark, so it would then be safe for him to light a fire to cook his rabbit on. While waiting for nightfall, Fang skinned and cleaned the rabbit. He could use the fur for something later.

It was dark, so the smoke from his fire would be hidden. Fang made sure that all of the doors and windows were closed before he lit the fire. Sure, it was dark, but he could see as well in the dark as he could in the day. It was part of his 'winged freak' thing.

Fang coaxed a spark out of two rocks with expert precision. Fang then filled a pot with water that he had gathered from a nearby stream earlier in the day, and placed the pot over the fire. Fang tossed the rabbit, along with various vegetables that he had scavenged, into the pot.

The seemingly random ingredients boiled into a nice stew. Fang ate as much of it as he could, then went to bed.

His life was a lonely life, but there was nothing that he could do about that. He was a freak, and no one could ever love him. At least, no one could love him without getting hurt, like his mother.

Fang laid in the hammock, with his black hair just barely skimming the edges of his vision. His dark eyes fluttered shut, and he fell into a sound sleep. That is, until he smelled the smoke.

Fang's nostrils flared at the scent of fire. He had put out the fire. What could have possibly… then, he heard deep shouts coming from outside. Sure enough, there were a dozen or so armed men with torches, setting the base of the tree on fire.

Fang's eyes smoldered in anger. They were going to burn down his house! How did they even find him!

Fang wanted to swoop down and scare the living daylights out of them with his huge, pure black wings. But the intruders had bows and arrows. They would shoot him the minute that they saw him. No, Fang had to use the old stealth approach. Fang flew as silently as death down to the other side of the tree. He could save his home if he could scare the invaders away.

Fang crept closer and closer. There was a heart-stopping twang, and before Fang could even think, he was hopelessly trapped in a net. Fang struggled futilely but only managed to get him entangled in the net. His eyes darted around like an animal's, looking for a way out. If he could just reach the pocketknife tucked into his waistband, then he could free himself.

However, to Fang's dismay, the net was way too small and he couldn't move his arms at all. He couldn't even wriggle the pocketknife into his hand. Rough shouts and loud, thundering footsteps came nearer until Fang could see sneering faces examining him in the torchlight.

"Oh, we'll get a good price for this one!" said one guy with a gravely voice.

"This is a fine specimen!" agreed another guy with a beard.

"He will be spectacular entertainment!" proclaimed another man.

_What on earth are they talking about?_ Fang thought._ Are they gonna kill me or what?_

"Are you going to kill me?" Fang asked. Fang's deep voice made even the 'bravest' of the men jump about a foot into the air.

"It speaks!" gasped a man.

"Are. You. Going. To. Kill. Me?" Fang said between his clenched teeth. He hated these guys already. He despised to be treated like a dumb animal.

" That is none of your concern, foul monster!" shouted a man as he gripped on to Fang's net.

"It is my business if I die." Fang said with a sardonic gleam in his eyes.

"Shut up, freak!" hissed the man as he brutally kicked Fang in the head with his heavy boot. Fang growled, and his lip curved into a feral snarl.

Fang was drifting into unconsciousness, but the last thing that he remembered was being dragged like a sack of potatoes through the dirt, watching his home, the home that he alone had built with his own two hands, the home that he had lived in for the last thirteen years, burned into ashes. The glowing embers of his only home rose into the starry night sky, and Fang remembered no more.

**Wow,I am terribly sorry about updating so late! Now all of a sudden, my teachers decide to all give me projects, so I have to work on those, but I really tried to update! I'll update as soon as I can. Until then… REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! I'm too happy to put into words right now! I got so many reviews/subscriptions/favorite story notification things that I could cry! You guy are seriously the best readers ever! Yes, I'm talking to YOU! :D **

**I hope you enjoy, there is a whole lot more violence in the next chapter but this chapter is a preparation for that! It is necessary, and I will update again by Friday, cuz you guys are so cool! :D**

**The disclaimer has the day off today… It's in Florida, somewhere!**

Max packed the necessities of her journey into a medium sized leather satchel. A few of the things that she packed were a dagger, a spare set of clothes, a few of her meager personal items, and a few valuable items that she'd collected over the years.

Max slowly tip-toed to the kitchen. Her bare feet barely made a sound on the cold stone floor. She needed to collect at least a weeks worth of rations if she was to escape the castle. Who knows how long she would be wandering in the middle of nowhere. Tomorrow night, she'd be too busy planning her escape to gather rations.

She had considered taking Nudge along with her on the escape, but not only would Nudge slow her down, but her constantly chatting mouth would get them into a heap of trouble. Besides, she didn't want to drag Nudge into all of this. Nudge could be caught or killed and Max would never forgive herself if something happened to her. Nudge was just better off here.

Who knows? Maybe a knight will come and rescue Nudge, believing that she was the princess. Nudge was more fit to be a princess anyhow. Max just wasn't cut out to be a beautiful, damsel in distress that every prince desperately wanted to rescue.

Max pictured herself at the moment a valiant prince came and slayed the dragon. The prince was about to kiss her, and suddenly, her wings spread out, in plain sight. The knight's perfect eyes bulged in horror, and he fled the room faster than an eighty pound suit of armor should allow.

Max shuddered. That wasn't far off from what had already happened to her. Nudge deserved to get the fairytale happy ending that she never would.

Max turned the corner and stepped out into the kitchen. She was met by a sleepy looking Nudge, who was munching on a carrot.

"Max?" said Nudge sleepily. "What are you doing up?"

" I could be asking you the same question." Max retorted as she nonchalantly hid the leather pouch behind her back.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came to get a snack,. What about you?" asked Nudge as she finished off the carrot.

"I…uh…" Max stuttered. She was too tired to come up with a valid excuse.

"What's that thing behind your back?" Nudge asked as she stepped closer to Max.

"Nothing!" Max blurted a little too fast.

"What? Tell me. Why are you acting all suspicious and sneaking around? Why can't you tell me, your best friend? Or at least I thought that we were best friends! I…" Nudge ranted.

Max was really tired and irritable, so she unintentionally snapped at Nudge.

"It's a sack, alright! I'm getting out of here and I need to pack food!" Max said. Nudge's mouth popped shut.

"You're… leaving? And you weren't gonna tell me? I thought that you were my friend." Nudge said quietly. "I guess I was mistaken."

Nudge! It's not like that! It's very dangerous and I just didn't want you to get hurt! A prince will come and marry you, no one will come and save me." Max said as her gaze drifted toward the floor.

Nudge looked at Max with a hard expression.

"Why won't anyone came and save you?" Nudge asked.

"Because I'm ugly. You're beautiful, so there's no doubt that you will be rescued." Max mumbled.

"Max, you are amazing. You will be rescued. The right knight hasn't come yet." Nudge said soothingly Nudge was now standing next to Max. Max refused to let a single tear fall.

"I'm not beautiful, Nudge. You don't have to pretend. If I was pretty, I'd be at my real home, in a castle with my mom and dad, ruling the kingdom. If I relied on a prince saving me, I'd be here forever. I have to save myself." Max said Nudge stopped Max from exiting the room y putting a gentle but firm hand on Max's shoulder.

"Where you go, I go." Nudge said, with a stubborn gleam in her eyes. Max smiled. There ws no convincing Nudge otherwise now.

"Fine. I'll help you pack. We're leaving tomorrow night." Max said.

When Fang woke up, he was still trapped in the net. There was a man in expensive looking clothes sitting at a table. The rich man was surrounded by bags with a strange marking on them. It was a seal, and not just any bank seal, it was the king's seal. The rich guy was the king's money steward.

What was he doing here?

There were four armor encrusted guards in the dim, candlelit room. Two guards stood behind the steward while two other guards stood stonefaced by the door.

The steward was writing something on a parchment with a quill pen. One of Fang's kidnappers, who stood around Fang, cleared his throat. The steward glanced up, and put the quill pen in the inkwell.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" the steward asked in a slightly nasal voice. It took every ounce of willpower that Fang had to prevent Fang from snorting. Gentlemen? These guys were kidnapping, house burning thugs. They were many things, but not gentlemen.

"Yes, we have a monster for you. The poster said to bring the monsters to you if we caught any." said a kidnapper, who appeared to be the leader. The steward glanced at Fang with distaste.

"This is no monster. This is just a normal young man! Do you take me for a fool?" The steward thundered.

"No sir. This beast is in fact a monster. Things are not always what they seem." The leader of the gang said. The gang leader gestured to a thug, and Fang was picked up off the ground, net and all.

Fang was then suddenly dropped on the ground. Fang grunted. What the heck was that for? How in any way did that prove that he was a monster?

"Come on, you stupid oaf! Open your wings!" growled the thug that had rudely dropped Fang.

"He's in a net, you idiot! He can't open his wings!" hissed a thin, scrawny kidnapper. "Hey, dou your guards have any heavy chains?"

"Of course. We've been dealing with strong beasts all day!" said the steward as he gestured for the guards by the door to leave. In a moment, the guards were back with an assortment of various chains.

Fang was handcuffed with a crude thick chain and a heavy chain aith a heavy, solid iron sphere attached to it was snapped to Fang's ankles. There was no possible way for Fang to escape now. That iron weight was just too heavy.

One of Fang's kidnappers then pulled out a dagger.

_So this is how it all ends. The cowards don't even let me fight!_ thought Fang bitterly as the knife came down.

Instead of slicing Fang open, the knife cut a large hole in the net. The guards pulled Fang to his feet.

"Now, demon, open your wings!" barked the thug leader. Fang stared down at the man, who was only five feet and six inches tall, while Fang just topped six feet. Fang's emotionless gaze was so unnerving that the man was shaking in his boots. The shaking man timidly called a guy over.

Then, a beefy thug grasped one of Fang's soft black wings in his sweaty, meaty hands.

"You either show your wings, or I crush em'!" spat the beefy thug. Fang tried not to gag from the stench of the guy's breath.

_What has this guy been eating? Onions with garlic?_ Fang thought. Fang had no choice but to spread out his sixteen foot wingspan. His wings touched both sides of the walls. Fang could never have a chance of survival if his wings were broken.

Fang had to admit, it felt great to stretch his wings out. He couldn't help but be ashamed of his midnight black wings.

It was because of those wretched wings that he was in this crisis. If he had just been born normal, he would have grown up with his mother and helped her pay the taxes, then he would learn a useful trade. Since he was eighteeen, he might even have a wife by now, and maybe a child.

He could never have any of that because of his wings.

The steward's mouth was gaping at the sight of Fang's enormous, dark wingspan. The steward, and the guards quickly gained their composure. Fang snapped his wings against his back.

"Very well. I am willing to offer ten gold pieces for the angel of death creature." Fang spat in igdnation.

"Excuse me? Is the king so cheap that he would only offer ten gold pieces for it? It is worth at least twenty gold pieces!" complained the thug leader. The rest of the kidnappers nodded their heads in agreement. "Capturing it was no easy feat! This creature is viscious, crafty, and the scourage of nearby villages! We did the king a avor by capturing it! It took much planning and extreme cunning and bravery on our opart to capture it! We won't accept less that twenty gold pieces for it!"

Fang suppressed a furious growl in the back of his throat. He was being sold like a common mule! This was low, even for humans.

Fang couldn't help but wonder why the king was buying monsters. What horrible purposes did the king have in mind for him?

The steward looked at the men in loathing. "Here's the deal. I'll offer seventeen pieces of gold. No more, no less."

The kidnappers murmered amongst themselves.

"Deal." the leader said as he and the steward shake hands. Fang watched in disgust as the meager gold coins were poured into the thug's dirty hands. His life was worth seventeen pieces of gold.

The kidnappers exited the room, bickering on who got the most coins. The soldiers binded Fang's wings to his back with a sturdy leather strap. Now there wasn't even he slimmest possibility that he would escape.

As the guards prodded Fang out the door, he heard the steward muttering.

"An angel of death, surely not! I've never seen one of those before! The king will be quite pleased. He will make an amazing addition to the tournament!" the steward said. The door slammed shut behind Fang, cutting off the musings of the rich steward.

The guards cursed at Fang for being slow and beat him for it. The chain was too heavy for a human to carry, it was a strain on Fang to pull. These chains were made for imprisoning oagers.

Fang had reached a carriage. This was no ordinary carrage, it as a royal prison carriage. Fang had seen them drive by at the edge of his woods. Fang smelled the distant woods for the last time as he was violently shoved into the prison car. The door quickly locked behind him. Fang peered out the narrow, barred window and saw the night sky grow a light salmon pink in the East where dawn was approaching. The stars were just beginning to fade and the full moon had retreated.

The carriage lurched forward.

After hours of riding in the highly uncomfortable prison car, Fang saw the castle gate. The carriage pulled through. Fang was in the castle of the king.

**I tried to make it long, but I swear it will get more interesting in the next chapter! If you tolerated this chapter, please let me know by reviewing! I accept all reviews with open arms!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, here I am! With a new chapter! This chapter is dedicated to shortbandie9! Happy Birthday, shortbandie9! **

**Disclaimer I don't own Max, or Fang, or Iggy, or anything! **

The carriage came to an abrupt halt. The door opened and two guards yanked Fang out into the castle courtyard. Fang fell face first into the dirt.

The two guards laughed, spat on him and called him atrocious names. Fang snarled and his eyes blazed.

The guards ceased laughing and dragged him into a building. They shoved him into a room and locked the thick door behind him.

The room was pitch black, and no man could ever hope to see in it. However, Fang was no normal man. He could see clearly in the dark as well as in the light.

Fang leaned against the stone wall and sank to the floor. He studied the room around him. For one thing, the floor was made of thin, dry dirt. Another thing that he noticed, was that the door that he came through was not the only door in the room. In fact, an entire wall was a door. However, all hopes slowly faded away when he realized that it was a drawbridge, and could only be opened from the outside.

What kind of a place was this? Was he to be executed? Probably not, because the steward bought him. The king doesn't _buy_ prisoners.

Fang waited for hours. Finally, the large drawbridge door in his room started creaking. He stood up and hauled the cumbersome iron weight behind him.

Slowly, by surely, the large door creaked upwards and a sliver of white light shined from below the door. Rapidly, the sliver of light grew wider until the whole door had risen into the ceiling.

Fang stumbled out into the light, and his inhuman eyes immediately adjusted to the harsh sunlight. His highly sound-sensitive ears were bombarded with the thunderous noise of a fanatic crowd cheering.

There was the king himself, seated high up on a balcony, overlooking the large dirt arena where he now stood.

There were an assortment of knights is polished armor with deadly weapons in tote. What was worse was that the top of the arena was roofed off with a thick net, which now made it impossible for Fang to escape.

Fang could see the sky through the net. Freedom was so close, yet so far away.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We are pleased to bring you the final round in our tournament. Instead of fighting a dumb beast, or even each other, our brave knights will fight a fallen angel! The knight who defeats this foul, vicious monster will earn the right to rescue princess Max from the castle, then bring her home to marry our great and mighty king, KING DYLAN!" The announcer boomed over the crowd.

The king was young for one thing. Probably a year or two younger than Fang was. The king had royal robes on and eyes the color of a running stream in the spring. However, Fang saw the coldness behind those blue eyes. A crown that was probably a size or two bigger than necessary was placed on his sandy blond hair.

The crowd cheered louder than before, and Fang winced at the deafening roar of cheers and applause. Fang's mind was racing at all of the new information that he had learned.

Princess, what princess? Why did she need to be rescued? Oh, and the first knight to _kill_ the monster?

"The fight will begin…now!" shouted the announcer as the knights raced towards Fang, with their deadly weapons in tow.

Whoa, this fight was totally rigged. Fang was still attached to his weight in chains and his wings were bound against his back. He couldn't walk, much less fight like this. Some 'tournament'! It as more like a race seeing which knight could run towards the poor, defenseless winged guy the fastest.

Fang waited for his unavoidable death. The first knight charged over towards Fang, and swung his heavy looking, razor sharp, battle axe over his armored shoulder. The knight let out a 'terrifying' battle cry and cleaved the axe down towards Fang's head.

At the last second, Fang back-stepped, but held our his arms, exposing the chain that held them together. It was too late for the axe-wielding knight to change his weapon's course, because the extremely sharp axe cut right through the chains that held Fang's arms and feet together.

Now Fang was free to run and fight back, with the heavy chains and weights off. He still had the bracelet/ anklet part of the chain left on him, but the rest had fallen off.

The knight grunted as he hauled the axe over his shoulder again.

_Not my weapon of choice_ Fang thought.

The other knights had caught up with him now. There was roughly eight knights in the group. Thirteen… there was no way that Fang was going to survive fighting thirteen armored, trained, and armed knights all at once. He didn't have a choice, thought. At least, not until his wings were free. He would then steal a sword from one of these jerks-in-shining-armor and quickly hack his way through the net and to freedom.

Fang just wanted to feel the cool breeze rush through his feathers again.

The first knight came at him with a sword held up high. The knight swung the sword diagonally, but the agile Fang bent over backwards, and before the knight could blink, Fang twisted the guy's arm and broke his wrist. The knight's sword skittered to the dusty ground. While the guy howled over his broken wrist, Fang aimed a high kick at the knight's head and struck.

Fang's foot came into contact with the knight's helmet so hard, that it left a huge crater in the front of the helmet. The helmet made a satisfying ringing noise, like the chime of a bell, when Fang had kicked it.

The small holes that the knight used to see through were so distorted from the large dent that he couldn't see. The knight must have figured out that he was beat, because he ran around in circles, then finally passed out on the ground, either from pain or that huge bump on his head from where the helmet had knocked against his skull.

The crowd was silent. The monster wasn't supposed to beat the knights. It was supposed to get slaughtered.

Fang was more than happy to disappoint them. He didn't want to be the source of the bloodbath.

Another knight came at him with a mace. Fang sidestepped and kicked the knight in the breastplate. Either Fang had become stronger than he thought, or the armor that the knights were wearing was for show purposes only, because the metal crumpled under Fang's fist like aluminum foil. The knight had dropped the mace on impact and Fang picked it up and struck it against the knight's cheap helmet. The knight didn't move.

Fang knew that he didn't kill anybody, because he was a hunter by trade. He knew exactly when an animal was dead. These metal clad buffoons were merely unconscious. Fang wasn't like humans. He wouldn't kill a man unless it was absolutely necessary.

Fang wanted to kill them for taking away everything that was important to him, but that would make him no better than the humans.

Two other knights came at him, one with a club and another with a sword, the poor fools.

The guy with the club swung at Fang in a powerful overhand blow. Fang had sidestepped the predictable move easily. Instead, the blow had landed on the knight with a sword. The knight with the sword crumpled to the ground.

The knight with a club stared at his fallen comrade.

"Whoops." The club-guy said. Fang smirked and nodded in a agreement as he punched the guy's lights out.

The crowd was so silent, that you could hear a feather drop. **(A/N: Get it? A feather? Because Fang's part bird? Oh never mind.)**

Then, one person clapped. The slow, steady clap grew into a thunderous applause. Then the crowd began cheering, then chanting 'angel!'.

Fang was so stunned, that he almost didn't see the battle axe guy coming up from behind him. A woman in the crowd shrieked as the knight swung at Fang.

He barely managed to evade the axe, but the axe still nicked him.

The axe grazed Fang's ribs, but it also severed the leather strap that had previously been binding his wings together. Without thinking, Fang spread his wings out to their full size, scaring the living daylights out of the remaining three knights.

One of the knights was frozen in fear and Fang knocked his legs out from under him, and kicked the guy's helmet. The terrified guy was out cold.

Another knight was stumbling backwards, and managed to trip over one of his fallen brethren. The knight flailed, and his own weapon fell on him with a heavy thud. The guy was down for the count.

The crowd was cheering wildly. This time not for the knights, but for Fang. The last knight had foolishly dropped his weapon and was running in confused circles. With one mighty thrust of his wings, Fang catapulted into the air and the crowd was in rapture. Fang flew as high as the net would allow.

Then, he tucked his wings in. Some people in the audience screamed, believing that Fang was about to splatter to his doom. However, Fang had carefully aimed at the naive knight. At the last possible moment, Fang unfurled his sleek black wings and landed right on top of the knight with ease. Of course, the knight crumpled from the unexpected weight and was knocked unconscious.

The crowd roared with approval. Fang had never dreamed of the day where humans would one day be cheering his name like he was a hero. Curiously, Fang swooped into the air and flew in a celebratory lap around the arena.

The crowd cheered, yelled, whooped and hollered even louder than before. Fang then landed with such grace, that it put even a swan to shame.

Fang looked at the king, wondering what his expression would be now that his 'champions' were out cold in the dirt and the monster that they had been ordered to kill was the one who did it to them.

The king was glaring at Fang, his blue eyes scowling at Fang's obsidian colored ones.

A cruel smirk grew on the king's face at he snapped his fingers. One of king Dylan's guards blew a sharp note on a whistle and twelve archers appeared on the king's balcony.

More archers appeared in the gate where Fang was previously imprisoned. Fang froze and the crowd sank into a shocked silence.

King Dylan was about to give the signal for the archers to shoot when a marvelous idea crossed his mind.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our champion!" The crowed stayed in shock for another moment, then cheered as loud as ever.

"This… thing will retrieve the princess and bring her back to me. I will wed her and the kingdom will have a new king!" shouted 'king' Dylan.

_So this guy needs a princess to be king? How is this my problem? I don't want to get some stuck up, bratty princess and drag her all he way back here! Unless…_ Fang thought.

"What's in it for me?" shouted Fang. The audience gasped. Fang's acute hearing picked up on some of their hushed whispers.

'It speaks!' was the most popular phrase being spoken. Fang grimaced.

"I… I will free you!" shouted king Dylan who appeared to be stunned that Fang could talk as well.

"Then what? Hunt me down like an animal again? I don't think so!" Fang shouted. Most of the crowd was shocked speechless. "Here's the deal, free me and let me live in peace and then I'll rescue your princess!" Fang said.

King Dylan pondered on Fang's words.

"Very well! You shall retrieve the princess, bring her back here, and in return, I'll give you your freedom!" king Dylan boomed. The crowd roared in approval.

Fang nodded in agreement. Some of the archers came into the arena and escorted Fang into the building. The drawbridge- door closed behind Fang. Lucky for the archers, there were torches lit. The archers steered Fang down passageways and past various doors.

They finally reached a large, cherry-wood door. The door opened, and there in his young glory, sat none other than king Dylan himself. The 'king' was guarded by half a dozen guards, all armed.

"Well, this certainly wasn't expected. No matter. I don't have to waste the lives of my knights in attempts to rescue the princess." said Dylan. He chuckled darkly.

"Here are the rules. You go to the castle, rescue the princess, no stopping for sightseeing. I will expect to see you in three days. Otherwise… well you will be hunted to extinction. Got it?" asked Dylan.

Fang nodded shortly. He wasn't planning on running away. He wanted to be free for real. No longer worrying about people harming him. He could fight, he had thoroughly proved that, but all Fang really wanted was to live in peace.

Fang sort of pitied the poor princess who would have to marry this king, who wasn't even brave enough to rescue the princess himself.

If he just rescued the princess, he would get his freedom and acceptance. Besides, how hard could rescuing some prissy little princess be?

**Ta-da! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! Here's a little song I just made up!**

**If you liked the story hit 'review'!**

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**If you liked the story hit 'review'!**

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**If you liked it and you know it, then a review would surely show it.**

**If you liked the story hit 'review'!**

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**Great… now it's stuck in my head! Well, HaPpY bIrThDaY to shortbandie9!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, sorry for taking so long to update, but I was unexpectedly busy, but now here's the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Shhh! The chapter's starting! *crunches popcorn very loudly* **

'King' Dylan let Fang leave the castle immediately. The sooner that the princess was brought back, the better. Whatever. Fang would rather leave than stay anyways. He hated to be constantly stared at with scorn, hate or even fear every day.

Fang's plan was to walk to the nearest town, buy a few supplies, then swoop in and fly the princess to the castle. Fang would be right on time if the castle was located where the 'king' said it was.

Fang scowled as he thought of the young 'king'. He hated the guy's guts. That dirt bag didn't deserve a maggot, much less a princess for a wife. Fang truly pitied the poor girl who had to marry that meathead. But the princess's head was probably empty like a dust bowl in the dry season. Princesses only cared about looks, not ethics or brains, so she would probably live happily ever after anyhow.

It just wasn't fair! How could someone as cruel as that 'king' get a beautiful girl as a wife? Fang deserved to have a wife. He had always tried to be kind to his mom and other people when he was a child. He was hostile to his torturers, no one else. Why was he denied of a happy life just because of the wings on his back? It just wasn't right.

Fang was too busy ranting in his head to notice the scuffle of five burly boys beating up a taller, skinnier kid. Fang awoke from his musings when he heard the all too familiar grunt of pain.

The five burly guys were shoving the thin guy around in a circle.

"Can't you see me?" one guy taunted.

"Come on, nimrod, fight back!" goaded another. Every time the guy tried to escape, another bigger guy would block his path and shove him in another direction.

Because of his enhanced sight, Fang could see that the boy's blue eyes were clouded over. The boy was blind. Fang was about to step in when one of the bullies grabbed the blind boy's strawberry blond hair, and threw him on the ground. The brute was about to kick the poor guy when Fang stepped in front of him.

"Leave. Him. Alone." rumbled Fang. His voice sounded like a distant thunderstorm, gradually growing closer until before you knew it, you were caught in a terrible downpour.

"What are you going to do about it?" sneered a bully as his possy backed him up from behind. Fang growled and suddenly, he let his midnight black wings snap into full size behind him.

"Repent, or you will pay!" thundered Fang. Fang looked like the spitting image of the angel of bullies grew white as linen and shrieked apologies as they bolted over a hill and out of sight. So much for 'low key'.

Fang helped the blind guy up.

"Thanks, I really mean it." the blind guy said. "My name is Iggy. What are you called?"

_A lot of things, and none of them are not very kind._ Fang thought cynically.

"Uh, Fang." Fang said. This blind guy didn't seem like much of a threat. Besides, once that he had retrieved the princess, he could go back into society, no longer an outcast. This was a start.

"Before you run away screaming, there is one other thing that you should probably know." Fang said. Fang guided Iggy's hand over to his wings. Iggy's hands lightly touched the glossy feathers.

"They… they are your... wings?" Iggy stuttered.

"Yeah. If you run away screaming, now is the best time to do so." Fang said with dark humor.

"Why would I run? You saved me, remember? So what, you have wings! That is so awesome!" Iggy said his grimy face turning into a smile.

Fang supressed a shocked gaping expression.

"So, where am I?" Fang asked. Iggy grinned.

"Huntsville." Iggy replied. "If you need a place to stay, ask someone else, because I've got nowhere to go."

Fang raised an eyebrow. He had never thought that he and a human could have so much in common.

"I'm just surviving, that is, unless those guys that you just scared off feel like beating me up." Iggy finished. Fang looked at Iggy quizzically. Could he really be trusted? Iggy definitely looked like he was homeless. His clothes were stained and he was filthy. The guy looked like he hadn't eaten for a week. He wasn't lying, Fang was sure of it.

"Hey, if you're interested, I'm on a sort of quest. You could join if you're up for it." Fang said. Fang always worked solo. But asking Iggy to come seemed like the right thing to do. Besides, Fang was going to have human friends when he was accepted back into society. Iggy would be his first friend.

"Sure! I mean, that sounds great!" Iggy said, still smiling. "But are you sure that you want a blind guy on your quest?"

"I'm sure." Fang said. Iggy whooped and Fang almost smiled. Almost.

Since the wonderful 'king' Dylan couldn't spare Fang any food or gold, Fang and Iggy moved out of the city, with Fang explaining his quest on the way.

Fang collected some herbs for a light lunch and continued down the trail. However, then they heard many heavy cart-wheels approaching. Fang could tell by the distant, muffled conversation and the muffled crying that this was a slave caravan and would attempt to enslave both Iggy and Fang.

Fang wasn't in the mood for fighting for his life and he highly doubted that his wings would make slave traders run away in fear.

"Iggy, hold on." Fang said quietly.

"Why?" Iggy asked suspiciously.

"Because you're about to be the first human to ever fly." Fang said as he grabbed Iggy's arms and shot into the air. Over the years, Fang had gotten better at sudden takeoffs. Plus, Fang was really strong after living in the harsh wilderness for most of his life, so Iggy was heavy, but bearable.

Iggy was too stunned to talk and Fang was too busy trying to carry someone who weighed more than he did hundreds of feet aloft.

Iggy and Fang were now hundreds of feet off the ground, soaring in the direction of the dilapidated castle where the princess dwelled.

"I am NOT wearing men's clothing!" Nudge shouted. "It's so undignified and…wrong!"

"You will or you will just have to live here with Shela! Speaking of which, Shhh! Shela will hear your screeching and come to check on us! She'll never leave if she sees that our stuff is packed!" Max hissed.

Nudge pouted. Max glared. Nudge's eyes widened, remembering how scary Max was when she was mad. Nudge unhappily slipped on the breeches and shirt. She fastened a belt to her waist and looked in the mirror.

Nudge grimaced, and Max beamed. They were dressed in similar outfits, both wearing baggy shirts, breeches, and light shoes. The shirts were long and baggy, covering any evidence that they were female.

"But… I don't even look like a girl!" Nudge protested. Max rolled her chocolate colored eyes.

"That's the point, Nudge! If someone sees two richly dressed girls wandering around the countryside, they'll get suspicious. We'll be walking targets for thugs, robbers, and all sorts of terrible beasts!" Max exclaimed as she made sure that her leather pouch was tightly fastened shut.

Nudge's bright brown eyes were wide with terror. She didn't like rats. At all. Much less, vicious, man-eating devils.

"However, we'll be less likely to be noticed if we were simply two men traveling!" Max concluded. Nudge nodded. Her sack was already packed. Nudge nervously was eating a piece of celery, like a rabbit.

The room was quiet, except for the sound of Nudge's anxious crunching. Then, Max heard approaching wing flaps.

"Nudge, go act like you're asleep! Shela's coming!" Max whispered quickly as she dove into her canopied bed. Nudge scurried down the hall to her room and did the same.

Max shut her eyes and tried to look relaxed. She made sure that the blankets on her bed covered her unusual attire.

Max tried not to flinch when she heard the sound of heavy wing beats reach her window, there was heavy breathing, then a blast of hot air as Shela snorted. The sound of flapping reptilian wings faded as Shela flew to the other side of the castle.

Max's eyes shot open, and Nudge's padded footsteps raced into Max's room.

"Is she gone?" Nudge asked as she peeked around the corner of the room.

"Yes, she's gone." Max confirmed. Nudge quickly retrieved the rope made out of cloth strips from under the bed and tied it tightly to the bedpost. Their lives would depend on it.

Nudge clambered down the coarse, homemade rope. Then, Max began her decent

"This is wrong, I hate these clothes! This is so, so wrong!" Nudge muttered. Max ignored her friend's complaints and continued slowly descending. She was about halfway down when something tackled her from the air. She was about to swing at her kidnapper, but was caught in the unnerving gaze of a pair of glittering, apathetic, obsidian eyes.

"Max!" Nudge screeched. Nudge would have screamed more, but a man's hand covered her mouth.

Max didn't really notice Nudge's predicament. She barely could comprehend what was going on. All that she could notice was the fact that she was flying, when her wings were tightly pressed against her back. She was soaring through the air because her dark haired, dark eyed, captor had an enormous pair of silky black wings, gliding soundlessly and skillfully through the air.

**A semi-cliffhanger and sorry if this chapter was a little boring, but I had to put it here. Besides, there will be fax in the next chapter! And fighting… and niggy! Oh, If you review, you'll find out what happens!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! And so many of you subscribed/ added me to favorites, that it brings me to tears! Almost, close, but not quite to tears. ****J**

**Disclaimer: I've really been slacking off on these…**

_Previously…_

_All that Max could notice was the fact that she was flying, when her wings were tightly pressed against her back. She was soaring through the air because her dark haired, dark eyed, captor had an enormous pair of silky black wings, gliding soundlessly and skillfully through the air._

Max was gaping at the soaring figure, who was carrying her in a bridal fashion. Max couldn't help but quizzically examine her 'rescuer.' She had to admit, the guy was _gorgeous_. His long-ish black hair whipped carelessly in the breeze. His slim, but muscular build and his intimidating, intense dark eyes sent shivers down her spine.

But his looks were hopelessly marred by the glossy black wings that protruded from his back. Although the moonlight did give the wings a mythical appearance, wings were far from beautiful. He _couldn't_ be her love. Because of those wings, he could never be beautiful. He faced similar problem that she did.

She felt a pang of compassion for him, but that was all. He wasn't the heir to the throne. He wasn't deprived of his rightful rulership because of his… deformities. He would never be her love, because the only way to be rid of these wretched wings was if that she loved someone who was handsome, and that handsome guy loved her back.

Then, anger overcame her other emotions like the rush of the tide. No. She was not going to remain a freak just because some other pitiful mutant wanted to play hero. This was _not_ how it was supposed to happen. She was supposed to be rescued by a dazzling prince! Not some… misfit! She had enough wings in her life!

Anger pounded into her veins. This… winged guy was ruining everything! They were now soaring over the main courtyard of the castle.

"Put me DOWN!" shrieked Max as she squirmed unsuccessfully in Fang's powerful grasp. Max had no choice. She balled up her hand into a lethal, mutant bird powered fist and swung with all her might. Her punch collided with a sickening crunch as hot blood stained Max's baggy shirt.

Her 'rescuer' didn't utter a word but the impact took him by surprise and he dropped her. Max was falling hundreds of feet down. Max gulped down her fear. She had to spread her wings out, she didn't have a choice.

Max unfurled her wings and soared back into the night sky. Max looked down with her enhanced sight to see Nudge… walking alongside her captor? Nudge was talking to her captor earnestly. The guy had strawberry blond hair, and was tall, but about her age by the looks of him. The guy said something, and Max could hear Nudge's melodic laugh with her keen ears.

Max swooped up and was met by the winged guy. She didn't notice before, but his clothing was all black. Strange. He would have blended in seamlessly with the night if any human were to look in the sky. The guy's face, which was perfect before, was now spoiled by his crooked nose and the blood pouring out of it.

Max must have looked terrified at all the blood.

"Don't worry. Head wounds always bleed a lot." the guy said. The corners of the guy's mouth twitched in an attempt at a smile. "You sure hit hard, for a princess, I mean."

_He still thinks that I'm a princess? Even after he's seen my wings? He didn't even blink an eye when he saw my wings!_ Max thought giddily. She quickly shut those fanciful thoughts in a box where she could evaluate them later.

"Who said that a princess can't hit?" said Max indignantly. "I'm not even going to describe how rude and… sexist that is of you to even think that! Besides. You can go home. Just tell your friend to release my friend let us go immediately. If you know that I'm a princess, than you should know that I have to be rescued by a prince! Not… someone like you."

Max blurted all of that out, without realizing the effect that it would have on the guy who was only trying to get her out of there.

Max could tell that this guy wasn't big on emotions, and she respected him for it. But even she could see the hurt and pain cross over his captivating gaze. The guy was quiet for a second.

"First of all, don't preach to me about stereotypes. Princes and kings aren't always charming. Believe me." said Fang, remembering his unpleasant encounter with that poser Dylan. "You were just about as wrong as I was. Then again, you're right. Royalty doesn't have wings. So why do you?"

Max flapped there in the air, with her hawk-like wings beating rapidly enough to keep her aloft.

By Max's expression, Fang could tell that he had struck a nerve. Her lips were tightly pressed together and her eyes appeared to be looking somewhere in the distance.

"That is none of your concern!" Max finally blurted. "So do me a favor and release me and my friend at once."

Fang was about to say something, but Nudge's ear splitting shriek interrupted him. Max's gaze shot downward at Nudge, who had fallen down a few steps. She had probably only sprained an ankle, but Nudge was more of a drama queen than Max could ever be. The boy, who Nudge was talking to before, rushed towards the sound of Nudge's cry, but fell down the stairs also.

"What's his problem? Is your henchmen some sort of professional klutz? Because if he isn't now, he could sure become one!" Max scoffed.

Fang glared at Max, his ash-black eyes smoldering. His gaze was so terrifying, that Max was temporarily paralyzed in fear. "He is my friend and he's blind." Fang said.

Max's eyes shifted to the ground. She mumbled something.

"What?" Fang said.

"I…I never got your name. And I'm sorry." Max said. It sounded that she'd never admitted that she was wrong before.

_I guess princesses don't apologize much._ Fang thought.

"Name's Fang. And you're forgiven." Fang said. In an instant, he tucked his wings in and streamed down like a black comet, hurdling towards earth. Max did the same.

As he was plummeting towards Iggy and … the princess's friend, thoughts raced through Fang's mind.

_This princess is… like me? Granted, she probably can't relate to me at all. She's a princess, she doesn't really act like one, but she still grew up like a princess! I'm a nobody from a family of nobody's but…she's still like me! She could probably understand me in ways that no one ever could._ Fang thought. He landed with ease while Max stumbled to a stop.

She almost never used her wings, much less, practiced her landing skills. With Shela watching her 24/7 and the fact that she was downright embarrassed by her wings, she lacked the aerial skill that Fang had.

Plus, both Fang and Max both knew that flying alone was peaceful, but not fun. It would take two to really make flying an exhilarating experience. Sure, going where only birds can is interesting, but it's noting if you can't share it with anyone.

Anyways, Max and Fang ran over to where Iggy and Nudge lied in a tangled heap. While they tried to help Iggy and Nudge up, Fang gestured for everyone to be quiet. There was soft thuds. Almost like…

"Footsteps." Iggy confirmed.

"Heavy ones at that." Fang said. Like Max, he also had enhanced hearing. Max and Nudge glanced at each other, their expressions grim.

"What is it… hey I never got your name." Fang said to Max and Nudge.

"I'm Max, she's Nudge and that's…" Max said as she gestured to the approaching heavy footsteps. There was a loud, earth trembling roar and the courtyard was lit up by a column of flame.

"That is Shela, the dragon." Nudge said, her face white with terror. Iggy looked in Fang's general direction and Fang looked a Iggy's scared expression. Nothing was said for a moment.

"Well that wasn't in the job description." Iggy said flatly as Shela's maroon head turned in the direction of his voice.

Shela looked at Max and Nudge, then at the boys and shook the earth with another terrifying roar. A blast of rancid hot air blew in their direction as Shela blew a blast of smoldering inferno right at them.

**Yes. Another Cliffy. I should really stop doing that, I know. But This is all I had time for! I promise to update as soon as I can, so please don't kill me.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, sorry if this update seems delayed, but I've been busy and… well, you know the rest. Here's the highly anticipated…. CHAPTER 7! I hope you enjoy. I put some Fax in there, and there will more Fax to come too!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Max. or Fang, or anything to do with Max Ride! Is that clear? **

_Previously…_

_Shela looked at Max and Nudge, then at the boys and shook the earth with another terrifying roar. A blast of rancid hot air blew in their direction as Shela blew a blast of smoldering inferno right at them._

"Iggy, take Nudge and Max and get out of here! Run for the woods and keep going! I'll find you later!" Fang said as he brusquely shoved everyone else out of the way of the scorching flames.

"What abut you?" argued Max. "You're just going to get yourself killed!"

"I'll be fine, now go!" Fang ordered.

Iggy and Nudge sprinted to the forest, with Nudge gently leading Iggy in the right direction. Max, on the other hand, stood stubbornly in front of Fang with her arms crossed. She tried to look into his eyes and scowl, but Fang was taller than her, so her gaze could only reach up to his shoulders. She tilted her head up so at least she could see his face.

His shaggy, unkempt black hair almost covered his glittering black eyes. His black, cotton clothes, which were highly unusual, somehow made Fang look more intimidating, dangerous, and dare she say, dashing?

Behind Max, Shela silently crouched, like a cat preparing to pounce. Of course, Max was oblivious to the dragon. She was too caught up in her stubborn-ness to notice.

"Max," said Fang in a low voice. "Get. Out. Of. The. Way."

"What?" said Max, her voice becoming shrill. "Do you think that I can't fight a dragon? The dragon _won't_ attack me, so I think…"

Max's tirade was cut short. The dragon pounced and Fang tackled Max to the ground, shielding her body with his own.

Shela raked her pointed, curved claws across Fang's back. The force from the dragon's blow sent Fang and Max rolling across the courtyard, like semi-human tumbleweed.

The dragon reared up on its hind legs, displaying its claws that were covered in gore. Fang's blood was dripping off of the claw that he had been scratched with, and some of his midnight black feathers were stuck to the blood on Shela's claws.

Fang's face was contorted with pain, but it only lasted a moment before Fang hid his emotions again.

"Fang, are you alright?" Max said softly, her hand involuntarily stroking his cheek. Their faces were so close, that she could stare deep into his dark irises and see little flecks of gold in them. His eyes were…breathtaking.

Fang hoped that Max didn't see him shiver when she stroked his cheek. Her touch sent warm sparks from the outside of his skin, to the depths of his very soul. He had never felt anything so… strangely exhilarating in his whole life. Her eyes were deep brown and loving, and kind of reminded him of the wonderful way that soil in the spring would warm up from the blazing sun.

Their legs were intertwined, but they weren't thinking about that. They weren't thinking about anything except each other. This feeling was like nothing they had never seen or felt before.

Then, Shela roared and blew flamed in the air, as if celebrating her successful attack.

That woke Max and Fang up from their daze. Max immediately realized their close proximity to each other, and her cheeks became painted with a scarlet blush. Fang, however, didn't blush. He apathetically untangled their legs and stood up. He held down his hand to help Max up, but she quickly regained her stubborn, lofty composure and stood up herself.

"Get out of here, Max!" snapped Fang. Instead, Max shot into the air and flapped her wings powerfully. She flew up to Shela's head, and as quick as a flash, she punched Shela's large, bloodshot eye as hard as she could. She did the same thing to the other eye in an instant.

Shela moaned pitifully and rolled on the ground, writhing in pain.

That dragon is a wimp. Fang barely even showed that he was hurt, and this dragon acts like a total baby.

Shela's eyes were screwed shut, so now was the opportune time to escape. Max gestured for Fang to come into the air with her and he hesitated for a moment before unsteadily bringing his wings out.

With one swift and very powerful stroke, Fang rose into the air. Max and Fang both found it strange to be flying with someone by their side.

Fang flew next to Max as close as he could. He wanted to be close enough to protect her from the dragon, no matter what she said.

Shela showed no intention of following them, and moaned pitifully frm the ground, thousands of feet below.

Almost a minute later, Max noticed that Fang was slowing down, his wing beats were unsteady and erratic.

Max swooped in closer and silently inspected his wound. His wing had three large gashes in it and all of the feathers were missing where the slashes were. Blood dripped continuously and sometimes spattered up in the air from the beating of his wings.

Basically, it looked horrible. Max couldn't help but gasp at the gruesome sight.

Fang looked over at her worried face.

"Just a scratch." he said, trying to reassure her.

"That," Max said gesturing to his slashed-up wing. " is no scratch! That is a gaping wound! Let's land!"

"No"

Fang's eyes were hardened with determiniation. Even Max could see that in his emotionless features.

Max looked at him like he was insane.

"What do you mean, 'no'? We have to land! You'll bleed to death if we don't!" Max said.

"No, we have to fing Nudge and Iggy." Fang said, with his wings growing unsteadier by the second.

"Please Fang. Land _please_. I'll bandage that up, then we'll look for Nudge and Iggy, I swear. Nudge is my friend too." Max pleaded. She looked almost desperate.

_Why does she care so much?I thought that she didn't like me since I'm not prince charming._ thought Fang. He was really tired. He was fighting to keep his eyes open. He couldn't show weakness. Not now.

"We'll keep flying… until we see Nudge and Iggy. Then… I'll patch this thing up." Fang said. He paused to fight to keep his eyes open.

"No." said Max in a scary, steely tone. "We are landing now and that's final." Max swooped down and he reluctantly followed.

_Maybe I can take a small nap while we're down on the ground. I'm so tired. Just a little sleep…_a sothing voice droned in Fangs's head.

As Max and Fang approached the treetops, Fang's eyes shuttered closed and his wings went limp. He crashed through the canopy branches and free-fell down to the forest floor.

"Fang!" Max shrieked as she dived after him. He was falling too fast, but Max wasn't giving up that easy. She needed him to guide her to this king so that her winged curse would be removed.

However, a loud voice in Max's head taunted her saying, _Max, is that all that he's good for, a guide to the castle? I'm sure that you could find it on your own now. You felt something when you were so close to him. You just want to stay with him. Don't deny it, flying isn't bad when he's with you._

Maybe that voice was right, but Max abruptly pushed all of those thoughts aside. Her heart just about stopped in her chest. There was Fang, laying among the ferns with his wings spread out in weird angles behind him. Oh, no.

"Fang!" Max shouted as she daintily landed among the ferns. She sprinted over to Fang, then kneeled by his side. Fang didn't move.

"You're not dead! You can't be dead! You saved my life!" she said with tears in her eyes. She qickly brushed them away as she quickly decided to use her forbidden gift.

First, she poured a little of wine from her canteen over the gashes on Fang's wings. The alcohol in the wine would kill all the germs from Shela's claws that might have gotten in the cut.

Then, she closed her eyes and focused on mending the broken bones and torn muscles in Fang's wings.

She took a deep breath, and placed her hands on Fang's wings. At first, nohing happened. Then, the bones started re-aligning themselves and the gashes on Fang's wing started closing up. In a moment, his wings were back to normal.

Then, she gently took Fang's shirt off and rolled him on to his stomach, so she could heal the rest of the cuts on his back. On his stomach, she couldn't help but notice a long, white scar running from the far right of bottom of his ribcage to the top of his left hip. She wondered what could have possibly done that.

She then repeated the same process that she had did with Fang's wings on his back, and that was healed as well.

She hated to use her power of healing because it made her feel like more of a freak than she was already. She only used the gift in the most dire circumstances and now definatey qualified as one.

Max turned Fang on to his back again, so that he could breathe easier. His chest rose up and down faintly, giving her hope to his survival. Max tried not to stare at his impressive display of muscles from working in a forest most of his life.

Max then made camp, by building a fire and getting two blankets from her pack. She put one over Fang and draped the other blanket over her shoulders. The night was just getting to the coldest part of the night, and Max huddled closer to the fire.

She was going to keep a lookout for Nude and Iggy, in case they showed up. Max also brandished a dagger in case any robbers or oagers came looking for trouble.

There was a deep, mumbling sound. Max's gaze shot over to Fang who was shifting restlessly in his sleep. Max crawled over to his side. His eyes were darting underneath his eyelids and he was mumbling incoherently.

She knew one thing, he was having a nightmare, she had seen enough of those. Max remembered once when she was little and her nurse had sung her a song when she had a nightmare. She stroked Fang's midnight black feathers is a daze as she sang,

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tearsWhen you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fearsAnd I held your hand through all of these yearsBut you still hold_

_All of me_

_These wounds won't seem to healThis pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tearsWhen you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fearsAnd I held your hand through all of these yearsBut you still haveAll of me_

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're goneBut though you're still with meI've been alone all along_

Max's beautiful voice slowly trailed off into the night as she realized that Fang's eyes had stopped moving rapidly beneath his eyelids and his breathing and movements were normal. She smiled.

What was happening to her? She wasn't, she couldn't be falling in love with _Fang_? Could she?

Then, there was rustling in the bushes. Max stood up slowly, holding the dagger, piosed and ready to strike.

Then, Nudge and Iggy blundered into the small clearing where Max and Fang were. Max tried to hide her relief.

"Hey Max! We… er….I saw the fire and we hid behind a tree to see who it was, and we saw that it was you! So sorry if we startled you! OMG, is Fang alright? What happened? Did you guys…" Iggy slapped his hand gently but quickly over Nudge's mouth.

"That's enough questions, for now. I'll stay up and watch for intruders, you guys, get some sleep." said Iggy. Max was a little shocked at Iggy's chivalry and all, but she had to be logical here.

"Uh, if you're blind, how are you going to be lookout?" asked Max, weary at the thought of staying up all night.

"I can hear better than anyone, even Fang. It kind of makes up for my lack of vision. Basically, if a bird ruffles it's feathers within a half mile, I'll hear it." Iggy said.

"Wow." said Max. "Ok, then. You watch, and wake me when it's my shift." Max said sternly. She wanted to do her share of the work too.

Iggy nodded, and Max snuggled in her bedroll, laying next to Fang.

_His body heat should keep me warm and I'll be able to tell if anything goes wrong while he's sleeping._ Max thought.

_No, you just want to snuggle up next to him with his shirt off._ An oh-so-annoying voice said in her head. She was terrified that it might be right. She was too tired to debate with herself about emotions, and she drifted off into well needed sleep next to Fang.

**Wow, that took me a REALLY long time so I'm really hoping for a bunch of reviews! Oh, and the song was an excerpt from 'My Immortal' by Evanescence. I love that song, it was stuck in my head, so I had to put it in there somewhere. **

**Please review if my writing is even a tiny bit good. Or bad. All reviews are welcome here, so don't be shy.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I can't even begin to describe how sorry I am. I know, I'm terrible, I haven't updated for almost a week, so to atone for that, I'll load this with some good ol' Fax! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. If I did, there wouldn't be such a thing as Mylan, or Dax, whatever it's called!**

_Previously…_

_Max was too tired to debate with herself about emotions, and she drifted off into well needed sleep next to Fang._

The sun's playful morning rays tingled Max's eyelids. Her brown eyes fluttered open. She glanced to where Fang was just before she fell asleep. His bedroll was packed up neatly, ready to go.

Nudge and Iggy were softly snoring with their hands intertwined. Was something going on between those two? Probably.

Max smiled. She was right, Nudge's prince did come and save her. Too bad that she couldn't say the same about herself. Or could she?

Max ran her hand through her tangled brown hair. Her hair was probably in a horrible mess after the battle with Shela and sleeping on a forest floor all night.

Max checked the surroundings around the camp briefly before taking off into the early morning sky. The bright scarlet rays of dawn were just starting to peak over the horizon.

She flew to a cliff on the edge of a ravine at the edge of a forest. Her enhanced vision immediately focused on a figure shrouded in black clothes, calmly sitting on the edge of the ravine, gazing at the sunrise. It wasn't the black clothes that gave away the identity of the figure, but his mammoth black wings glistening in the early morning light. Fang.

Max tilted her left wing downward and swiftly swooped in a turn. She descended and landed a few steps behind Fang. She took a quiet step forward.

"Hi, Max." Fang said without taking his eyes off of the sunrise. Max didn't know whether to stomp her foot in frustration at Fang's keen awareness of his surroundings, or marvel at his ability to observe everything around him.

She swore that she saw Fang smirking in the auburn light, but she couldn't be sure. He pulled his left wing in against his back, and gestured for her to sit next to him. She timidly stepped forward and sat next to him. He unfurled his wing and let it spread out to it's full length behind Max.

She kept her wings tightly concealed behind her back. They were her embarassment, her shame, the bane of her very existence. She didn't understand how he could be so nonchalant about his wings like that.

"Why do you do that?" Max asked Fang. Fang failed to express any emotion.

" I like the sunlight on my wings. It feels good." Fang said.

"No, I mean how can you be…." Max tailed off, not knowing on how to end the sentence without offending Fang. He understood, and finished the sentence.

"So open about my wings?" Fang said, and for the fist time that day, he glanced over at her with his glittering, coal black eyes. "I'm used to them. I'm always going to have them, there's no getting around it."

Max suddenly took great interest in the rising sun. The sliver of crimson light was now a wider strip of fiery orange, and the orange lit up the dark indigo night sky. The moon had fled and the stars were fading fast. The orange and red beams of light were blending harmoniously with the purples and blues from the remnants of the night sky.

"Wow." said Max in an awestruck voice. "This is… amazing!"

Fang suppressed a smile.

"I know. Back at my home, I got up every day just to see the sunrise." he said. Both he and Max were surprised with his long sentence. He couldn't explain why he was opening up to someone, much less a princess.

_You like talking to her, because she's the only person in the world that can understand you. She's the only one who can relate to you. _a voice said in Fang's head. He was shocked at the truth in the statement.

"Where did you live?" Max asked, her curiosity seeping into her voice.

"I lived in the woods. My house is…was up hidden in a tree." Fang said.

"Was? What happened?" Max asked quietly, trying to detect any emotion on his face.

"It was burned down." Fang said, successfully being as vague as possible. Max pressed for more details of Fang's life.

"What about your family? Did they reject you?" Max asked. Fang clenched his fists. She could tell that she had hit a nerve.

"They're dead." Fang said flatly. For some reason, Max felt like her heart was breaking. She felt horrible for Fang. Everything that ever mattered to him was gone. Probably because of his wings. Max knew that he didn't want her pity, so she hugged her legs to her chest and stared at the sunrise. The majority of the sun was risen, but the air was still cold from the night.

Max shivered, because the dew and chilly air were clinging to her bones and sucking the warmth from her body.

Fang all of a sudden felt bad. She was just curious. He should tell her. She was the first person to ask about his past with genuine interest. It was almost like she _cared _about him.

Fang saw Max shivering. She was definitely not what he expected of a princess. She didn't complain about the cold, or sleeping on the ground. She was polite and not stuck up like the average princess. That was the thing. Then, he realized, that she was no ordinary princess. He then started to get an idea of why she was locked in a tower.

She didn't act like a princess. Her parents probably didn't want to deal with their different daughter, so they locked her away.

He looked at her shaking form and slowly, like he would approach a wild deer, wrapped his midnight black wing around her cold form.

She stiffened, and he was afraid that he had gone to far. He had never acted that way before. He had never… cared for someone like this before.

Max relaxed and to Fang's utter surprise, she snuggled closer to him. He couldn't help himself, he smiled.

_This is the happiest moment in my life. _Fang thought.

_This is the happiest moment in my life. _Max thought happily as she closed her eyes for a moment. She just wanted to enjoy this moment of pure pleasure as long as she could.

Fang rubbed the tense spot between her wings. He wasn't afraid of her shrieking and running away, because he knew that she wouldn't run. The tenseness remaining in Max's body faded into oblivion as Fang's touch sent pleasurable tingles throughout her body.

She smiled and Fang could swear that she was purring. All rational thoughts fled them like rabbits fleeing a wildfire. All that they could feel was the goodness of each other's touch.

Max could smell his musky scent and the distant trace of pine from the woods where he lived. Max felt totally and completely safe around him. Fang felt totally relaxed and happy around her.

The sun was fully risen and climbing to it's peak in the sky.

"Max, the others are looking for us. I can hear them." Fang said. Max reluctantly got up. She spread out her wings.

"Thank you." she said quietly before taking off into the sky. Her ivory and chestnut colored wings moved so powerfully and gracefully that it took his breath away.

Something had happened to him back there. He couldn't be in love.

_But I am. I'm hopelessly in love with princess Maximum._ Fang admitted. He was so screwed.

Fang took off into the blue sky.

_What happened. It was so wrong, but it felt so right._ Max thought a she soared through the open air, looking for their encampment. _I was so happy. Wait… I can't be in love with Fang._ Max was terrified, but deep down she knew that she was indeed, in love with Fang.

Max found the camp and soared down. She landed and swiftly pulled her wings in tightly against her back.

"There you are! I was beginning to worry about you! We were looking or you and Fang, but I figured that you guys went flying together. So how did it go? Oh my gosh! Did you guys…" Max slapped her hand over Nudge's mouth before any embarrassing questions were blurted out.

Iggy must've figured out what happened, because he grinned.

"So Max, we packed up camp. Did you and Fang have an…_interesting_ time?" Iggy said as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down. Max rolled her eyes.

"Why? I could be asking you and Nudge the same question. I saw you two snuggled up like two rabbits in a burrow last night!" Max smirked.

Iggy and Nudge blushed and looked everywhere but each other. Then, as silently as a shadow, Fang landed.

Fang's captivating gaze froze Max in place. She was trapped in his never-ending, onyx eyes.

"Uh, guys? We have to keep moving. We'll be at the castle before nightfall if we keep going." Iggy said.

Fang, reluctantly, grabbed his pack and began walking.

Max, Nudge, and Iggy followed his example, and began their trek through the forest.

**Yes, I must end it here, but I totally and completely promise that I WILL update before Saturday. Ok? Just review, and I will probably update sooner. Plenty of more Fax in the next chapter! REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey! I loved the reviews! Thank you guys for being so patient with me! Here's the new chapter and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!**

"I can't take this walking any longer! We HAVE to stop!" wailed Nudge. Iggy, who was carrying her bridal style panted and set her down on a fallen log.

"_You're_ tired of walking! I've been carrying you for miles!" Iggy grunted.

"I want to stretch my wings." Fang agreed. Stretching her wings sounded good to Max too. Especially if that meant she got to fly with Fang. Max and Fang spread out their wings and took off while Iggy and Nudge plopped down beneath one of the plentiful trees and slurped water from the canteens.

Fang and Max flew alongside each other, silently enjoying each other's presence. Suddenly Fang stopped in midair.

"Hey," he said. Max looked over. "Do you want to go swimming?" he asked randomly. He gestured with his hand to the stream below them.

Max looked at the ground.

"I can't swim." Max mumbled. She just had to look at Fang's expression. He was most definitely shocked, well… as shocked as Fang ever looks.

"Wait, you _can't_ swim?" Fang said, with a hint of disbelief in his apathetic tone. Max nodded.

"Well, it's about time that you learned." Fang said with a barely noticeable smirk. In the blink of an eye, Fang had grabbed Max around her middle, trapping her wings tightly against her back. She struggled to get loose, but Fang was too strong.

"What do you think you're doing!" Max screamed.

"I think that I'm about to give a princess swimming lessons." Fang said as he flashed her a rare smile. Max tried to ignore the fluttery feeling in her stomach from Fang's brief grin.

Without warning, Fang dived down. Max, who was terrified of crashing screamed. Fang was like a black blur, shooting out of the sky. They rapidly approached the sliver of sparkling blue which was the stream. Faster, they approached the river.

With the feeling of terror, Max couldn't help but notice the feeling of elation at the freeness of the fall and the warm feeling of Fang's strong arms around her.

In a moment, when Max was sure that they were about to die, she clutched on to Fang, hoping that he was the last thing that she saw before she died. Both their eyes were foggy, because the bite of the wind had stung their eyes. Max saw the water and prepared to splatter on impact when they stopped.

Fang had spread out his wings at the last possible second and was now holding the two of them suspended over the semi-placid stream.

Such a force should have ripped his wings right off his back.

"How did you…" Max started, too mystified to be furious at Fang's little stunt.

"Maybe I'll show you sometime. Right now, I'll show you how to swim." said Fang in his trademark, emotionless tone. He suddenly released Max and she fell about two or three feet and sunk into the water with a small splash.

Fang almost smiled, waiting for her to pop her head up and start telling him off. But she never did. The water continued to rush past. Fang couldn't see the bottom, but by the color of the water, he estimated it to be up to his ribcage.

After another moment without a trace of Max, Fang's heart was beating wildly in panic.

_Oh, no! I've killed her! _

**Yes. I know that you guys will hate me for this cliffy. But it won't last long. I will update on either Friday or Saturday. At least... if I get any reviews.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey! I was so happy at how many reviews/subscriptions I got when I came home from school, (Might as well be **_**The**_** School, because it's so full of torture!) that I almost teared up! So thank you x1000.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride no matter how much I want to!**

_Previously…_

_Fang almost smiled, waiting for her to pop her head up and start telling him off. But she never did. The water continued to rush past. Fang couldn't see the bottom, but by the color of the water, he estimated it to be up to his ribcage._

_After another moment without a trace of Max, Fang's heart was beating wildly in panic._

_Oh, no! I've killed her! Fang thought._

**Chapter 10 **

Fang tucked his wings in, and dived into the water. He opened his eyes under water, but his vision was blurred by the rushing current. He still saw no sign of her.

_She was swept away by the under current. I've killed her! _thought Fang frantically.

His lungs ached for air. Fang kicked off of the rocky riverbed and launched out of the water. It was extremely difficult, if not impossible to fly with wet wings. However, the ice cold adrenaline that was pounding through his veins enabled him to take off into the air.

His black clothes clung to his skin and his shaggy black hair was sopping wet, not unlike the rest of him. His soaked, black wings shed off miniscule droplets of water as they flapped up and down. His heart was hammering in his chest at an alarming rate. He had to find her. He _couldn't _loose her.

"Max!" he shouted. Fang quickly glided downstream, yelling Max's name. He returned to the spot where he originally dropped her.

"MAX!" he bellowed. The only reply was the whistling of nearby birds and the rushing of the stream. Like Max, he too was swept away. Only he was taken by despair.

Fang was right. The undertow was indeed strong. As soon as Max splashed into the water, she sank to the bottom. She didn't even get a chance to touch the smooth stones at the riverbed, because she was briskly whisked away to the left bank, where the water by the shore was placid.

Max's head emerged from the water, and she drank in the sweet taste of oxygen. She hears the rushing water and the sounds of the forest. She soon realized that she was completely concealed by the wispy branches of a wise old willow tree that was growing alongside the bank.

The willow tree leaned over the water like it was whispering to the rushing waters. It was the perfect hiding place. Max then got an idea that was deviously brilliant. Instead of showing herself to Fang, she would stay hidden and watch his humorous reaction.

Oh, this would be the perfect revenge for scaring her with that free fall and dip in the cold river water.

Max peered through the leafy vines of the willow tree, her caramel brown eyes sparkling with mischief and mirth.

Fang's reaction was far beyond her expectations.

His eyes, which were always so undecipherable, were now wide with alarm. His glossy black wings, which had an interesting purple glint in the afternoon sunlight, were suddenly tucked against Fang's back. He dived in the water with barely a splash.

Fang remained submerged for well over a minute.

_What if he drowns trying to find me?_ Max thought. Then, Fang catapulted out of the water, and with one powerful stoke of his jet black wings, he was soaring above the river.

"Max!" Fang yelled. He soared downstream, and Max could hear him calling her name. Fang soon appeared where he had originally dropped her.

"MAX!" he said in a yell louder than she believed that he could make. He sounded so anguished, that she felt like millions of tiny shards of glass had pierced through her chest.

Fang glided to the riverbank opposite of Max and slammed his fist into thick pine tree. He ignored the pain of splinters digging into his knuckles.

_Why does everyone that I care about have to get hurt because of me? Why do I have to always be alone?_ Fang thought in a potent mix of angst and anger. He punched the tree again. And again. Blood rushed down his hands. He ignored it. He repetitively slugged the thick trunk of the tree.

Fang's anger was replaced with pure grief. He had never felt like this before. Never was he so happy. Max made him feel so… alive and free that it scared him. But that was okay, because he loved everything about her; her smile, her smell, her eyes, her hair, the touch of her skin against his, her attitude unlike any other girl's.

Fang had secretly hoped that they would never have to go back to the castle of Dylan's. He hoped that maybe he Max, and maybe Iggy and Nudge, could run away to a distant land where they were free to fly and live free of persecution. He hoped that Max had felt the same way about him.

But now he would never know.

Fang slowly sat down and leaned his head against the tree.

Max, who was shocked stiff by his emotional, so un-Fang-like reaction to her disappearance, snapped out of her paralyzed state. She waded precariously through the slippery rocks and strong currents until she stood at the opposite bank where Fang was.

Fang looked up and his black eyes met with Max's light brown ones. His didn't utter a word. He stood up, still sopping wet. Max shivered from a chilly breeze. Without warning, Fang stepped forward and wrapped his well -built arms around her in a fierce hug.

Max was definitely surprised at his reaction. She had expected him to tell her off.

"Don't do that again." Fang ordered into her hair.

"I won't…" Max said, not promising anything. Fang released her and gripped on to her shoulders, firmly holding her in place. He held her captive with his intense gaze.

"Max, promise me, you won't do that again. Please." Fang said. He was almost… begging her. This was Fang, the emotionless stone, begging her not to trick him. Or was there something more…

"I promise." Max said softly. Fang smiled. Max felt her heart beat a little faster and her world lit up.

Then she pushed Fang into the water.

"What about those swimming lessons?" Max asked once Fang's head had resurfaced. His black hair was soaked, making his eyes nearly impossible to see. He swept his shaggy bangs slightly to the side, so he could see Max better. Max waded over to Fang.

He peeled off his black shirt and threw it in a soggy pile on the bank, so it would dry out in the sun. Max tried to focus on Fang's swimming instructions, but it was kind of hard with his finely chiseled muscles right there in plain sight.

"Are you ok?" asked Fang. His expression was unreadable, as usual. Max blushed. Whoops, she was caught.

"Uh, yeah. Just don't let me drown." she said. Fang looked at Max, his eyes softening by a fraction of a degree.

"Don't worry, Max. I'll protect you." he said. Max was at a loss for words and attempted to swim

Max eventually got the hang of swimming and she was almost as fast as Fang by the end of the afternoon.

At sunset, Fang and Max crawled on to the shore. To let the remaining sun dry them off.

Fang spread out his black wings like he had done earlier that morning. To Fang's surprise, Max did the same. It seemed that she instantly relaxed.

"You're right. This does feel good." Max said. Fang looked at Max's intricate wings, which were dark chestnut brown at the tips and steadily grew lighter, until her downy feathers were a creamy, ivory color. Fang also noticed that her wingspan was slightly smaller than his. Of course, she was smaller than he was.

"Where did you get that scar?" Max asked Fang, breaking the silence.

"Which scar?" He said. He had a lot of scars, each having their own story.

"That one." said Max, gesturing to the long one on that cut diagonally his stomach. Fang grimaced. Out of all the scars, that one held the worst tale.

"That is where a soldier cut me with a sword when I was three. They had killed my mother and burned down my home. I was stupid, I tried to attack them from the air, but he got me." He smirked with dark humor. " I almost bled to death before I stopped and bandaged it. It's a reminder of why I will never fit in, because humans will always hate me."

That was one of the longest things that she had ever hear Fang said. It was also the most personal.

"What about your dad?" she asked softly.

"He died right after I was born. I never knew him." he said. It was quiet for a moment.

"Thank you. For healing me last night. I don't know how you did it, I just know…" Fang said. Max looked at the bank's pebbly texture.

"Yeah. I can heal myself or other people it's a… talent I have." Max said. Fang gently grabbed her chin and turned her head towards him.

"Well I think that it's an amazing talent. Not unlike you." Fang said, his voice barely above a whisper. Max hoped that the darkness of the evening hid her beet red blush.

The sun had set and now the star was speckled with millions of glittering stars. The luminescent moon smiled down on them. With the night, came a cold breeze. Max shivered, because she was only half dry.

"You're cold." Fang mumbled. He wrapped one of his black wings around her thin frame and she scooted closer to him. She leaned her head on his hard shoulder. She was warm and comfortable, snuggled next to Fang.

They watched more stars appear, and listened to the symphony of night noises. Somewhere near, a wolf howled it's mournful cry and Max edged closer to Fang. Fang smiled a half smile, and pulled her against him. She wasn't afraid. Fang was there to protect her.

"So… when do I have to be at the castle?" Max asked. Fang stiffened slightly. He despised the thought of leaving her in the hands of that sleazy slime ball Dylan.

"Tomorrow. Don't worry, we'll be at Dylan's castle by tomorrow afternoon. We're in no hurry." Fang said, turning his gaze from the stars to Max. "In fact. We don't even have to go back."

"What do you mean? I have…" Max started.

"You don't _have_ to do anything. You can chooses your future." Fang said. Max was shocked at his response. It was so… unlike anything she had heard in the past. Her parents had always mad the big decisions in her life. Men always made the decisions after that. Here, Fang was giving her a chance to choose what she wanted.

"You could stay in a castle, and be a queen, or…" Fang trailed off. Max desperately wanted to know the end of that sentence. She secretly wanted to give up the whole 'princess' gig. She just wasn't cut out to be a princess.

"You could run away, or you could…." Fang didn't know how to end this sentence in quite the right way.

"I could what, Fang?" said Max. She really, really wanted to know what he had to stay now.

Fang never finished that sentence. Instead he leaned over and kissed Max passionately on the lips. She kissed him back. The moonlight glistened off of them and the stars winked at them. The whole forest seemed to have gone silent to watch the two. This was either Fang's best dream or his worst nightmare. He was about to find out. All that he knew, was that he was hopelessly in love with princess Max.

**Hey! I tried to make it long and Fax filled. And I updated fast, but I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes. Really, forgive them. So I deserve at least some reviews! Yay or nay. I love suggestions and opinions too! :D Review away!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey! Thanks to all the jaw-dropping amount of reviews, I updated! Thank all of you who reviewed and I'm almost done with this fic! I have, like three more chapters, then I'll post another story… the sequel to 'The Missing Piece' ! Dun, dun, DUN! ****J So yeah, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Max Ride, or Evanesence! **

**Chapter 11**

_previously… _

_Fang never finished that sentence. Instead he leaned over and kissed Max passionately on the lips. She kissed him back. The moonlight glistened off of them and the stars winked at them. The whole forest seemed to have gone silent to watch the two. This was either Fang's best dream or his worst nightmare. He was about to find out. All that he knew, was that he was hopelessly in love with princess Max._

All that Max could think about, or feel, or smell, or taste, or hear, was Fang.

Fang was as happy as he ever felt and his chest burned with a new passion for the girl kissing him. Her laugh, her scowl, her eyes, her hair, her scent, he loved everything about her and despised everyone who opposed her.

Max was fighting the haziness of pure pleasure, and forced herself to think. What was she doing? Kissing Fang… who was supposed to bring her to a king, who she should marry. She was cheating on the guy she was supposed to marry with Fang! She couldn't be with Fang. She had to get rid of these wings.

Fang wasn't beautiful, he was a freak like she was! The person she married had to be beautiful, otherwise she was stuck with these wings for the rest of her life! She desperately wanted to be beautiful and normal! Princesses couldn't be freaks, this was just how it had to be.

Max pulled back from Fang and stumbled away from him. Fang looked at Max, his black irises glittering in the moonlight. His eyebrows laced together in confusion.

"What's wrong, Max?" Fang asked. He tried to pull her closer with his onyx wings, but she pushed him away.

"I… I can't…I don't love you. We can't be together. It has to be this way. I'm sorry." Max said, shoving her tears away. Fang's eyes couldn't possibly get any wider. He then narrowed them. He stood up and turned his back to her.

Max stepped closer to Fang, and gently put her hand on his shoulder.

"Fang, it's not your fault. It… it has to be like this." Max said.

"Get off! You definitely are a normal princess, a selfish spoiled little brat! You belong with Dylan, you two deserve each other! Let's see how he deals with your wings! Maybe then you'll see that freaks don't get happy endings!" Fang snarled as he violently jerked his shoulder away from Max's hand.

Max jumped back away from Fang as if he had just scalded her. In a way, he did. Fang glimpsed at her, and she had furious tears in her eyes.

"You would know all about freaks never having happy endings!" screamed Max as she sprinted into the dark forest and back to the camp.

Fang rose into the air, shoving his emotions in a box. He rose higher and higher, his black wings glinting in the light of the full moon, then his emotionless façade crashed to pieces completely.

One tear after another fell from his eyes. He couldn't believe that he let her get so close. He never should have believed that she would be any different. All princesses end up married to snobby rich knights-in-shining-armor. He should known that his tarnished armor was no match for a prince's wealth. All he had to give her was love, and that obviously wasn't enough for her.

He loved her, but she brushed him off like a piece of filth.

His heart, which was burning with passion not minutes ago was now throbbing agonizingly. He half expected to see red blood blossoming from hi chest where Max had ripped his heart out.

Heartbroken and alone, this time forever, Fang flew off into the distance, to fetch Max's prince charming and forget about her forever. But deep down, he knew that he would never forget her, and this numbing pain from his broken soul would always be his only company.

Max ran through the forest letting the furious tears fall. If this was the right decision, then why did it hurt so much? All that she had ever thought about was getting rid of these despicable wings. She had to marry someone beautiful, brave and true. Fang was brave and true, but face it, he had the same problem that she did. He had wings just like she did, and wings were far from beautiful.

Why was she all of a sudden questioning everything that she had ever known? All of those years, being locked up and rejected, she had planned out everything and thoroughly decided that her loathsome wings should be disposed of.

Ever since she was rescued by Fang, her wings were no longer embarrassing and shameful, they were a part of her. Fang taught her to be happy with herself for who and what she was. Fang _loved her_, for who she was, wings and all.

Max knew for a fact that royalty and being different did not mix at all. Her family had shipped her off after all, just because she had wings. Fang, understood her, and loved her for who she was. She highly doubted that this 'king Dylan' guy would fall in love with her wings.

_He doesn't have to love your wings. They'll disappear as soon as your married. He won't even know that you had them._ said a voice in Max's head. Of course. That had to be the answer. She didn't have a choice now. Fang was gone forever.

Max had finally reached the encampment where Nudge was watching the small fire and Iggy was snoring next to Nudge.

Nudge looked up at Max.

"Oh, you're back! Where's Fang? Are you guys together?" Nudge babbles. Then she gasps. "Oh, are you two going to get married? You two are _perfect_ for each other! I mean, Max, you always hated your wings, but now you can keep them! You and Fang can be the world's first flying couple! Oh my gosh! Your kids will be SO CUTE! I hope that they will have little wings just like you! Can I baby-sit? Oh, Max, you have to let Iggy and I baby-sit! We'll…"

"Nudge, NUDGE! Fang's gone. He's not coming back…" Max said, staring at the ground, blinking back more annoying tears. "And it's all my fault."

Nudge knew that Max was trying to be tough by not crying, so Nudge walked over and hugged her best fiend.

Surprisingly, Max hugged back fiercely and let the tears fall. Max cried into Nudge's shoulder.

Neither girl noticed that Iggy had stopped snoring, and was now just breathing softly.

"Max, please tell me what happened. You'll never get over it until you tell me what happened, exactly. Just start from when you two left to go 'stretch your wings'." Nudge said.

Max sniffed and recalled the day's events in detail. Miraculously, Nudge didn't interrupt, and muffled her gasps and awes. When Max got to the part where she and Fang had fought in the end, Max furiously wiped more tears away.

"I… I thought that I made the right choice. I always wanted these wings gone, and to do that, I have to marry someone who's beautiful…err…handsome. Everyone knows that wings are ugly. I just don't know what to do, Nudge! He's gone and I don't know what to do!" Max cried.

Nudge massaged Max's tense back soothingly, choosing her words carefully.

"Well, Max. You never had to get rid of your wings. No one ever forced you to. You could be with Fang. Max, when you're around Fang, you're happier than I've ever seen you! He loved your wings, so why can't you do the same?" Nudge said.

"But Nudge, I have to be normal! Don't you see? I'm the only heir to the throne and when I marry a normal, handsome guy, My wings would be gone and I could rule. I can't rule with wings. If the people found out that the queen had wings, they'll kill me and the kingdom will be in chaos! If I marry a king, our kingdoms will be united! Don't you see? I don't really have a choice. It's my duty to my subjects. With the power of royalty, also comes great responsibility." Max said.

Nudge didn't say anything. Max was indeed in a rough spot. She cared about the kingdom, enough to where she would sacrifice her own happiness for the better of the kingdom. There just had to be another way…

Before Nudge could figure out a solution that would enable Max to be with Fang without anarchy among the kingdom, Max was asleep, wit salty tear trails staining her cheeks.

"Good-night, Max." Nudge said as she gently put her best friend on the ground and covered her with a blanket.

It was morning, and the sun was rising in a marvelous array of colors. Max was sitting in a tree, with her wings spread out, taking in the marvelous warmth of a new day.

She wanted so badly for everything to be the way it was yesterday morning. She wanted Fang to be beside her, silently watching the sunrise with her. However, that would never happen again.

Max heard a distant sound of a clear trumpet. Trumpets? In the forest? What on earth was going on? Max jumped down and landed nimbly on her feet. She walked over to Nudge and Iggy, who were just as stumped as she was. Max tucked her wings tightly against her back, preparing for a fight.

Then, a dozen or so noble, purebred horses emerged from the thicket with knights in polished silver armor riding on their backs.

Max and Nudge looked at ech other with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Then, a knight riding a pure white horse emerged and lifted off his helmet. He had sandy blond hair and eyes that were the color of the sea. He had a devilishly handsome face.

"I'm king Dylan, and I'm here to marry you, my beautiful princess." said king Dylan with a dazzling, pearly white smile. His shiny armor glinted in the early morning light.

Max was wondering how in the heck Dylan had managed to find her, when she was in the middle of nowhere. Then, as if emerging from the shadows themselves, stood a tall, dark figure, with shaggy black hair, all black clothes, and an apathetic expression on his face.

Fang.

**Yes. Whew. I'm glad to be done! And I changed the numbers in my penname so don't get too confused, I JUST CHANGED THE NUMBERS! This is the first and last time that I will be changing my penname! So yeah, yay or nay? Review and tell me.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey! Guess what? You guys gave me so many reviews, that I'm going to make this chapter extra long. The holidays are really stressing me out, because I have like, zero time to do anything! I can't guarantee that I'll be able to update during the week next week, so sorry about that. I have exams, and Christmas preparations, so =D. **

**{P.S.} I'm glad that some of you noticed the little thing that I did at the end of the last chapter, where I showed how completely opposite Fang and Dylan are!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Max Ride or Shrek!**

_Previously_

"_I'm king Dylan, and I'm here to marry you, my beautiful princess." said king Dylan with a dazzling, pearly white smile. His shiny armor glinted in the early morning light._

_Max was wondering how in the heck Dylan had managed to find her, when she was in the middle of nowhere. Then, as if emerging from the shadows themselves, stood a tall, dark figure, with shaggy black hair, all black clothes, and an apathetic expression on his face._

_Fang._

**Chapter 12**

Fang. He had brought Dylan here. He wanted to get rid of her. Just like that. Well, fine then. If Fang could get over her like that, then she could forget about Fang too.

"Thank you, kind king." Max said in a cordial, sweet voice. Dylan smiled and his bright white teeth flashed again.

"You're welcome, my beautiful princess." Dylan said as he lowered his hand to help Max up onto his horse. Max's smile faltered. She hated it when people tried to help her, before she even attempted to do anything. It was like they expected her to fail, and the only way that she could accomplish anything was with help.

Fang knew that. He believed that she could do anything. He didn't treat her like a helpless, delicate princess.

_No, you have to stop thinking about him now. He is not what's best for your kingdom. Besides, he's only trying to be a gentleman. _Max thought fiercely.

Her sweet smile returned almost as quickly as it left and she gracefully accepted Dylan's hand. Dylan lifted Max onto the horse's back.

Max glanced at Fang's expression, secretly hoping that she would see some sign that he cared about her.

Fang's expression was as emotionless as ever. Inside, however. Fang was a cauldron of emotions; rage, pain, depression, stubbornness, confusion, and longing all bubbling under his detached expression.

Dylan caught Max's glance at Fang. Dylan then saw her turnher head quickly away.

"Don't worry, my love. You won't have to see that hideous creature again. I apologize for sending it to fetch you, but unfortunately, he was the best…thing suitable for the job!" Dylan laughed good naturedly.

Max was biting her tounge. She had called Fang an it. Would he do the same thing when he saw her wings?

_No, because he won't see your wings. The spell will be lifted before he get the chance to see them._ said the voice of reason in Max's head. As usual, it was right.

What did it matter, anyways? Fang had proved that he was inhuman anyways. She knew that her wings made her a freak, inhuman. Still, Max felt a pang of a negative feeling as she thought these thoughts.

"At least let me wish him…err…it farewell." Max said. Dylan's laugh, which sounded like loud church bells on Christmas morning, rang through the forest.

"Beautiful, and has a sense of humor! Princess Maximum, you do not have to tell this beast goodbye. It's not like it has feelings or anything!" Dylan cackled.

Max felt a stab of anger. Just because Fang wasn't human, didn't mean that he didn't have feelings! I mean, she had feelings, and wings too! Plus, she hated to be called Maximum anyways.

Fang looked at Max, his eyes cold and dark. His face revealed nothing. Max's anger tripled, this time, aimed at Fang. He didn't care enough about her to even show a tiny bit of emotion?

Furious, Max replied to Dylan, her voice dripping with a chilling venom.

"You're right, _it_ doesn't have any feelings. I was foolish to believe so." Max said.

Fang felt like he had been pierced through his very soul. He just was too stubborn to show it. She knew that he loved her, and she had thrown it in his face. She didn't deserve to see him in pain. The only thing that she deserved was that selfish guy sitting on the same horse as she was.

"Princess, I know that we have just met, but, will you marry me? Be my beautiful queen and we'll rule the kingdom together." Dylan said, his handsome face becoming serious. Max looked in Dylan's turquoise, azure eyes. She was almost mesmerized by his breathtaking gaze.

Max glanced at Fang as she spoke.

"Yes, my king. I would be honored to be your queen."

Fang's cauldron of emotions was now boiling down to a war between two emotions, fury and misery. He still refused to let his impassive exterior fall.

This really ticked Max off. He didn't care that she was getting married? He didn't care that she would spend the rest of her days in the arms of another man? He didn't care that she would have another guy's children, live under another guy's roof, and never see him again?

_Fine! Just Fine. I have one more verbal blow up my sleeve and now, I'm gong to use it!_ Max thought aggressively.

"In fact," Max started in a sickeningly honeyed tone. She was still peering over Dylan's broad shoulder, looking at Fang's emotionless, captivating eyes.

"I think that we should get married today. Before the night falls." Max said.

That was like a fatal bow to Fang. He couldn't take any more of this. Max, the only thing that he had loved in this world, was here, making a show of how eager she was to marry the cowardly king who would have retched at the sight of her wings.

"Eager, are we?" chuckled Dylan. "You're right. The sooner that we are together, the better. It's like we were," At this point, Dylan grabbed Max's idle hands. "Made for each other."

It took all of the willpower that Fang could muster not to knock that guy's fairytale-filled lights out. Dylan was such a corny, horny, sleazebag!

Fang stormed over to Dylan, his insides blazing.

"You told me if I brought you the princess, you would give my freedom. In writing." Fang said. Dylan reluctantly looked at Fang, and scowled, like he couldn't believe that he had to converse with something so unworthy as Fang.

"You're right. I said if you _brought_ her to me, that you would have your freedom. However, you failed." Dylan said with a cruel grin contorting his comely features.

Fang's body went ice cold.

"You did not _bring_ her to me. I had to come and get her. I don't blame her for not wanting to travel with something so revolting as you! Anyways, you failed, so no deal." Dylan said as he tapped the horse's snowy white flanks, and the horse galloped off into the forest, followed by the posse of knights.

Fang was seething and livid. The gall of that imposter king. Dylan was just so awful, vile, dreadful, disgusting, horrid, horrendous, terrible, unbearable, atrocious, unspeakable, ghastly, and appalling, that it made Fang sick.

Nudge, who Fang had totally forgotten about until now, came over to Fang.

"Fang," she said in a barely audible voice.

"What?" he said coldly. He was in no mood for talking. He never wanted to se another person again. He wanted to go back to the forest, build himself another home, where he could live in solitude.

"She didn't mean it." Nudge said. Fang looked at her, and she saw that his impassive mask had finally cracked. He was hurt. Bad.

"Of course she meant it! Didn't you see her? She married that guy! She saw how he treated people like me, and was more than happy to marry him! I don't know If she remembers, but she has wings too, and that isn't going to change! How does she think that guy's going to treat her when he seees her wings? He's going to throw her out like a broken sandal!" ranted Fang.

Nudge bit her lip. She was dying to tell Fang that Max could get rid of her wings. She acted like she didn't love Fang to protect her kingdom from anarchy. However, when Nudge first saw Max's wings, she made a blood promise not to tell anyone about Max's wings, or her curse. She wasn't going to break that vow now.

"Some people run away just to see if you'll chase after them." Nudge said as she walked over to Iggy.

Fang sat on a fallen log, dejectedly.

"Nudge," Iggy said quietly. "You go and see what direction the horsemen left in, and I'll catch up with you in a minute."

Nudge smiled faintly. She had an idea about what Iggy was about to do.

Iggy walked over to Fang.

"Well, what do you want?" snapped Fang irritably.

"I wanted to tell you something I heard last night. Don't argue, just listen until I'm done." said Iggy.

Iggy explained the conversation that he heard the night before when he was 'asleep'. He told Fang about how Max told Fang that she didn't love him for the good of the kingdom. He told Fang, finally, about Max's curse.

Fang stared at the ground.

"Like Nudge said, Max said all of that just to see if you cared enough about her." Iggy said.

"Well that's an insane way of testing love." Fang muttered. Iggy grinned.

"Maybe so, but do you love her?" Iggy asked.

Fang remained quiet. He hated talking about emotions. Fang nodded.

"Do you love her more than anything else?" Iggy pressed on. Fang nodded again, still not looking up.

"Would you die for her?" Iggy asked. Then, Fang looked at Iggy.

"Yes." Fang said.

"Then you've got nothing to loose. You _will_ loose her forever to that slime ball Dylan if you don't go after her now." Iggy said.

"But what about her kingdom? She can't marry me, she has to marry a prince, and get rid of her wings. She's right, people hate people who don't fit in." Fang said.

"I don't hate you. And Nudge doesn't hate Max. Sometimes, cowardly people hate what they can't understand." Iggy said. Fang shrugged.

"That explains Dylan. But that doesn't solve my problem. I'm not good looking, I have wings. That's as ugly as any human can get. If she wants to be normal, that I'll let her. I just ant her to be happy." Fang said. Iggy sighed, exasperated.

"Fang, she loves _you_. Not Dylan. If you love her, wings and all, then she'll love them as well." Iggy said. That did make sense…

""But it still doesn't solve the whole 'kingdom running amok when there is no king or queen' problem.

"If you love her, then you will figure out something. He wasn't made for her, _you_ were! You both have wings! Probably the only two people on earth to have wings! If that's not made for each other, I don't know what is!" Iggy said.

Fang was quiet.

"You choose, Fang. You can be with her, you just have to fight for her, and you've never had a problem with fighting before." Iggy said as he left. The only thing that Iggy culd do now was pray for Fang to make the right decision.

**I hope it was good. I tried to be as descriptive as possible! =D anyways, if you review, then I might be able to make time during this crazy week to update! So, if you want to see a new chapter next week, then UPDATE!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Again, I apologize for not updating sooner, but I've been really busy. So forgive me and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: for the last time, I do not own Maximum Ride!**

_previously… _

"_You choose, Fang. You can be with her, you just have to fight for her, and you've never had a problem with fighting before." Iggy said as he left. The only thing that Iggy could do now was pray for Fang to make the right decision._

**Chapter 13**

Max stared into the floor length mirror, staring at her somber expression as she gazed upon her white wedding gown. Her brown and blond hair was perfectly strait and adorned with a braided wreath of diamonds and white roses. She was scrubbed clean and coated in a scent of lavender. Her bouquet was of freshly picked lilies and roses, with little wires studded in diamonds accented through the frivolous bouquet.

She had always imagined her wedding day to be a joyous and wonderful occasion. But it was not so.

_Why are you unhappy?_ said a voice in Max's head. _You are getting married to a king! A handsome and charming king at that! You will be rid of your wings and be a wonderful queen that the kingdom would always remember!_

Max wanted to believe that voice with ever fiber of her being, but she couldn't. She wouldn't be remembered, because Dylan was the type of guy to hog all of the limelight to himself. She would just be another name in a dusty history book if she married Dylan. Her life would be so boring with Dylan, that it was tragic.

Fang understood her, and really listened to her. He stirred up feelings inside of her that she had never felt before, and it was wonderful. Fang let her make her own decisions. He loved her, and she knew deep down that she loved him to.

But her kingdom was more important that her happiness. It was one of her painstaking responsibilities to put the kingdom before herself. But why should she have to sacrifice Fang's happiness for the good of the kingdom? It wasn't fair!

Max never thought that she would be crying on her wedding day. She had learned a valuable lesson. Princesses don't always get happy endings, because life was not a fairytale. She had to marry her parent's murder.

Max remembered the events on the horseback ride to the castle as if it were still happening.

She had asked of what had happened to King and Queen Ride, who ruled the very kingdom in which they were standing.

Dylan laughed in that deep, clear-as-a-bell, laugh. The white horse on which they were riding at the time picked up speed.

Dylan didn't even bat an eye when he said.

"Oh, them? I had to defeat them when I took over the kingdom. But the kingdom is much better off in my capable hands!" Dylan said pompously.

Max was left in a stunned silence for the rest of the ride home.

Now her hot, salty tears were staining her white silk wedding gown, and she didn't care. Her dress should be a dark black, because the day that she married her parent's murderer was the day that she died.

Her parents didn't treat her the way that a parent should treat a child, but it was for the good of the kingdom. She was sure that locking her up in a tower was one of the hardest decisions that her parents had ever made, but they did it so the kingdom could remain peaceful.

She still loved them, and now they would never see her rule, or get married, or even when she had their grandkids. Max's body wracked in a silent sob at the thought of bearing that murdering tyrant's children. She didn't want this! She didn't want any of this! She wanted Fang and everything that that entitled! Wings and all. But now, it was too late.

A maid beckoned Max to rehearsal and she wiped away her pointless tears. Her prince charming wasn't coming to save her. She had broken his heart, and she would probably never see him again.

Fang sat on the fallen log, staring blankly into the forest. A thousand different shades of green blended seamlessly in the forest as various critters scurried along the forest floor.

Fang was too deep in thought to notice.

Max.

Oh, man. She was stubborn. And bossy. But she was unlike any other girl that he had ever met. She was funny, smart, not to mention beautiful.

Fang sighed as he suppressed a memory of her smiling faintly into the sunset. Her golden, brown hair shined like amber and gold in the sinking sunlight. Her beautiful lips were relaxed. But one of the most beautiful things about her were her wings.

Fang thought that she was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. Her brown and white wings were breathtaking. She was powerful and graceful at the same time as she soared through the afternoon sky with him.

But she was gone. But not because she didn't love him. Because she had a responsibility to her kingdom. Iggy's deep words rang through his mind.

"_You choose, Fang. You can be with her, you just have to fight for her, and you've never had a problem with fighting before."_ is what Iggy said. And it was then that Fang had decided to fight for her. He was going to fight for her, even if he didn't survive it. Because she was one of a kind, wonderful and too perfect to just let be. If she loved him, then they could conquer anything, even the psychotic, wing hating king.

Fang would fight, as long as there was Max to fight for.

Fang stood up off the log and took off into the sky. By now, Iggy and Nudge would have reached the castle. E just hoped that he wasn't too late to save Max from her own wedding.

**Hey, I'm sorry that it's short, but I'm depressed. Sigh. My ah-mazing friend, The Codebreaker (:D) gave me a link to the first eight chapters of the real, James Patterson-made, seventh book of the Maximum Ride series called ANGEL. I am sorely depressed, and I encourage you to tell me what you think. I'll give you the link. PM me or review me your response if link is busted, look on my profile or copy and paste the link on to the adress bar, and remove the spaces.**

http:/www. james patterson .com /books_maximum Ride Seven. php # excerpts


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey! It's my one-year-aversary today! Basically, it means I've been on Fanfiction for one year today! :)**** I just had to update, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I hope that you've realized that I don't own Maximum Ride by now…**

_Previously…_

_Fang would fight, as long as there was Max to fight for._

_Fang stood up off the log and took off into the sky. By now, Iggy and Nudge would have reached the castle. He just hoped that he wasn't too late to save Max from her own wedding._

**Chapter 14**

This wedding was nothing like Max had always wanted. Sure, the decorating was elegant, classic, and all white, but there were no bridesmaids, or even a best man. Her parents weren't there, giving her reassuring glances and looking extremely happy. There wasn't Nudge there grinning at her in her maid of honor dress.

Max felt so alone. Weddings were supposed to be cheerful and full of people you care about. There was none of that here.

Max stood outside the large oak doors of the church, waiting for the wedding march to begin. She gripped her bouquet until her fingers were white as her dress.

Worst of all, she knew that amongst the thousands of people she didn't know in that church, was the monster who killed her parents and took over her kingdom. Not only that, but her parent's murder is the one who she would see waiting for her at the alter; the person who she had to marry.

Bitter tears fell down her cheeks as she silently wished that it would not be Dylan at the alter, but Fang. Max's heart involuntarily fluttered at the thought of Fang at the alter, looking breathtaking and mysterious all at the same time. Max would happily walk up the aisle, and take Fang's hand. They would both say 'I do', exchange rings, and have the first of the many kisses in their married lives.

But no, Dylan would be waiting at the alter. And she would never see Fang again.

Her musical cue began playing on the mournful organ. To Max, it sounded that the organ was playing a death march rather that the wedding music. As she walked up the heavily decorated aisle, Max hoped that her white, seemingly transparent veil hid her tears.

The crowd marveled at her beautiful dress, but Max knew that they would not be so impressed if they saw her wings that were hidden from view.

Max finally passed the last bland white bouquet and reluctantly took Dylan's hand. The preacher began with the speech and Max glanced around the room. Near the back, she saw Iggy and Nudge. She stopped crying and managed a smile. Nudge would see her get married after all.

Max then looked around the room, but the little flame of hope in her heart extinguished when she didn't see Fang.

Max's shattered heart was frozen over, despite the appearance of her friends. She should have known better than to hope. There would be no prince saving her from this monster. Real life really didn't have happy endings.

After what seemed like a lifetime, The old preacher finally said,

"Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

Past the enormous, sparkling white bouquets and hundreds of yards of white fabric, no one stood up, said a word, or even cleared their throat. There was absolute silence in the huge cathedral.

Little tears dripped down her cheeks once again. No one was going to save her. Saving herself would only result in misery. If Max showed her wings now, she would be thrown out of the castle and hunted like Fang was. Even with the slim chance of finding him, Fang would never forgive her for what she said.

If it had to be this way, why did it hurt so much?

There was still silence in the cathedral. Why wasn't the pastor ranting about vows and eternal promises?

Dylan looked at the pastor impatiently.

"Well, get on with it! No one objects!" Dylan snapped.

The pastor didn't even react to Dylan's short temper. In fact, it seemed that he hadn't even registered that Dylan had even spoken. The pastor looked dumbfounded at the window above where Max had entered before she had walked down the aisle. There was a banging noise coming from the window. She didn't hear it before…

Max looked over curiously, then there was an earsplitting crash. The large stained glass window above the front doors was shattered, and the whole audience let out a collective gasp.

All, except for Iggy and Nudge who grinned knowingly. For in the empty frame where the glass window once stood was a dark silhouette of a tall, young man. The surprising aspect of this person was not his size, or even his all black attire, but his vast black wings.

Women in the crowd shrieked in terror as the winged person glided over the crowd and landed at the alter, right behind Max and Dylan.

There was much chatter in the audience as Max took a good look at the winged man. His black hair was windswept from rapid flight and his ebony colored irises sparkled with a fiery determination.

Fang looked right past the dumbstruck Dylan, and stared at the shaking pastor. The pastor quaked in fear.

"I object." Fang said quietly. However, the whole audience could hear Fang's deep voice. The many people in the pews of the church let out another noise of suprise, and a wave of whispers swept though them.

"Wha…what?" The minister said timidly.

"I object." Fang said louder.

"I…err…" stuttered the minister, as if he didn't know what to do if a person flies in, and objects to a royal marriage.

"You what?" bellowed Dylan. "How dare you show your ugly face here! Our little transaction is done, and you are not wanted here! In case you were wondering, YOU WEREN'T INVITED FOR A REASON! No. One. Wants. You."

Fang ignored Dylan and turned to face Max. He approached her and brushed her veil away. He saw her tears and gently wiped those away with his thumb.

"Max." Fang murmured.

"You came back." Max whispered. She looked deep into his obsidian eyes, in search of any emotion. Fang nodded tacitly.

"I'll always come back. I couldn't let you go." Fang said. Max was quiet for a moment.

"Fang, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry!" Max said as she wrapped her arms around Fang's neck. Fang wrapped his arms around Max's lower back and squeezed her in a sweet embrace.

"Please forgive me." Max whispered, still clutching on to Fang.

"I already have." Fang said gently.

Dylan, who's face was beet red in anger, started shouting dirty insults at Fang.

Fang ignored him and whispered,

"Max, are you going to show him your wings and shut him up?"

Max grinned for the first time all day and nodded. She took a step back from Fang and stood to where everyone in the church, including the bellowing Dylan, could see her. Then, she rolled her shoulders back and let her wings free from their bounds.

The audience gasped as Max's brown and white wings spread out to their full, twelve and a half foot wingspan. One woman in the front row fainted.

Max beamed at Fang, and Fang stepped closer to her and kissed her, right there in front of the entire church.

They then glanced over at Dylan, who was slack jawed. Dylan then clamped his mouth shut in a nasty snarl.

"It's hideous! I can't believe that I almost married such a disgusting, monstrous little…" Dylan sneered. Fang glared at Dylan with a look that could have seared through solid iron.

"You can insult me, but do _not_ insult her! She's more has more beauty than you deserve to lay eyes on!" hissed Fang. "If you know what's good for you, get out of here, because Max is the rightful queen of this kingdom and you know it, so beat it!"

Dylan cowered under Fang's ferocious glare and shot behind the protection of the preacher's podium.

There was unhappy murmuring among the crowd. Thanks to their uncanny hearing abilities, Max and Fang could pick up some of the hushed conversation of the audience.

'Max is the only heir!' 'A monster cannot rule the kingdom!' and 'who will take over the kingdom now?' were among the mumblings.

"They're right, Fang. That was the whole reason that we can't be together. Someone has to rule, and now that everyone knows about my wings, I definitely can't !" Max said.

"I think that I have an idea." said Fang. He whispered into Max's ear. Her expression was doubtful at first, but she gradually smiled at the end.

"That'll work!" Max said happily.

"Just in case that the curse isn't lifted." Fang said.

Max's chocolate brown eyes widened.

"I completely forgot about the curse! Tell me that you love me, then kiss me." said Max.

"If you insist." said Fang, smirking. "I love you, Max." Then Fang kissed her on the mouth, just like that. All of those pleasurable tingles and fireworks went off in both Max's and Fang's brains as they kissed each other.

Then, a fiery blue light coiled around Max and Fang reluctantly let Max go. The blue light became so bright that everyone had to look away.

Fang immediately looked anxiously back at Max as soon as the blue light disappeared.

Max was out, unconscious on the heavily carpeted floor. Fang hurried over to her side and knelt next to her.

The preacher had fainted at this point and the audience was as quiet as mice. What Fang didn't see, was Dylan creeping quietly behind his back, clutching a bejeweled dagger.

A woman in the audience screamed in alarm, and that was all it took. Fang abruptly looked behind him, but it was too late.

Startled, Dylan had tripped over his own dress shoes and landed on his own dagger.

The white carpet was stained crimson with Dylan's blood. Two men from the audience dragged Dylan's body away.

Fang immediately returned his attention back to Max, who was awakening. Max's dark caramel colored eyes fluttered open and focused on Fang's intense, raven shaded irises. They were so close, that Max could pick out little gold flecks amongst Fang's captivating dark eyes.

Max had to look away before she got lost in Fangs endless eyes. Fang helped her to her feet. Max anxiously looked at her back, to find that her wings were still firmly fastened to her back.

"I don't understand… I shouldn't have wings anymore…" Max said quietly.

"The curse said that I had to be good looking, apparently, the witch didn't think that I was that charming." Fang said.

"I don't care what 'she' thought, you are… hey, wait, how did you know about my curse? I never told you!" Max said, with a questioning expression on her face.

Fang shrugged.

"That's another story for another day. Besides, you _are_ beautiful." Fang said, once again, catching Max's eyes.

"No, I'm not. You can hear them, those people in the pews. I'm ugly." Max said quietly as she studied the floor. Fang cupped Max's chin in his hands and turned her gaze beck up to him.

"If you're ugly, then you're a beautiful kind of ugly, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Fang said as he softly kissed her.

Since the audience was watching the two bird-humans like the two main characters in a play, Max broke apart from the kiss and cleared her throat to address the crowd.

"As you might have noticed, I have wings. Therefore, I cannot properly rule this kingdom. Many people would disagree with the idea of a non-human ruling the land, and that would cause division and instability amongst the kingdom. Since there are no other blood relatives suitable to be heirs to the throne, I will appoint my best friend and most trusted servant to the throne along with her noble suitor. Nudge is more like a sister than anything else, and she deserved to rule. If anyone objects… deal with it, because she's my sister in all but blood." Max said boldly.

There were several gasps from the crowd. For once, Nudge was at a loss for words. Iggy told her to get up there where the alter was. Nudge timidly stood up and grabbed Iggy's hand. Iggy looked at Nudge quizzically.

"Iggy, if I'm going to be queen, then you have to be the king! Come on!" Nudge whispered. Both Iggy, and Nudge walked up the aisle and to the podium where Max grinned at them. Fang even smiled a sort of half smile at them.

"Max I… I…" Nudge stuttered.

"You're supposed to say that you accept." whispered Max.

"I accept." Iggy and Nudge said in unison. Max gestured for the royal crown bearer to come up and place the crowns on the new king and queen's heads. Baffled, the crown bearer did just that.

"You'll make a much better queen than me. Besides, you will enjoy it a whole lot more than I would." Max whispered. Nudge grinned and Iggy stood stock still.

"Congratulations, Iggy. Someday, maybe me and Max will visit you and your many little heirs." Fang said nonchalantly. Iggy stiffened, if that's possible, since he was too shocked to speak.

"They are the new King and Queen, so treat them with respect and honor." Max said lastly as she spread her wings out.

Max smiled over at Fang, who gave her one of his rare grins that made her world a little bit brighter. Fang spread his glossy black wings and the two took off and soared through the broken window, waving to the new king and queen.

"Visit soon!" shouted Nudge.

"We will! I promise!" Max shouted back.

Fang was only a little above Max, so that their wings didn't clip one another during flight. Max grabbed Fang's hand and they treasured the feel of the other's touch.

Flying used to be a solitary, lonely pastime for both of them. Now, they could fly together, and never be alone.

Fang looked down, and grinned at Max, and her heart thumped wildly inside of her chest. Wow, he was smiling a lot recently. Not that she was complaining.

Then they flew off into the sunset, prepared to face the many unexpected obstacles of life together, because together, they could face anything.

**The End!**

**So that was the end, I still have one more chapter that I'd like to post, sort of like an epilogue. I promise, this is a GOOD epilogue, unlike the one in FANG, which I loathed. Anyways, if this story was any good at all, please, please tell me in a review! I accept ALL reviews, so don't be shy.**


	15. Epilogue

**Hey, guess what? THIS IS THE EPILOGUE! And drumroll please… I GOT TO TYPE IT ON MY NEW LAPTOP! Yes, no more old, nasty computer, this sucker is AWESOME! :D :D Happy New Year, people!**

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Maximum Ride or Shrek!**

**Epilogue**

"Fang!" Max yelled from across the house.

"Yes, Max. I'm coming!" Fang shouted back. Max was currently trying to brush Phoenix's long, tangled brown hair.

Phoenix's hair was almost exactly like her mother's, with small golden streaks flowing throughout her chestnut colored hair. However, her eyes did differ from Max's. Instead of having pure, warm brown eyes, Phoenix's were a reddish brown tint with gold laced brilliantly amongst the fiery brown. Altogether, her eyes were very intimidating, beautiful, and quite dramatic. However, her skin tone was closer to Max's fair skin than Fang's tanned skin.

There was a loud bang from where Fang's end of the tree-house. Yes, they lived in a tree house, and it was quite a large one at that. Max and Fang had first started building it right after they got married, which was only a day after Max escaped that horrible, wannabe king, Dylan. It took two weeks of arduous work, but the house was finally done and they were far away from any human dwellings. After three years, no one had discovered them and they lived there happily.

There was the sound of light running footsteps from the room where Fang was, another bang, then laughter. Max chuckled. Fang and Griffin were horsing around. If they kept it up, someone would fall out of the tree house…again.

A few seconds later, Fang emerged from the other side of the house with a struggling Griffin over his shoulder. Griffin was a year older than Phoenix, making him three years old while Phoenix was only two.

Griffin's black hair, which was much like Fang's except with brown streaking occasionally through it, was shaggy and just above his eyebrows.

"Let me down! Daddy, put me down!" shrieked Griffin. His light Carmel and gold eyes gleamed with mischief and playfulness like they usually did.

Fang grinned, which was something that he did more often ever since he found out that he was going to be a father. He then let Griffin down, and Max couldn't help but notice the resemblance in skin tone between. Griffin and Fang's skin was pretty much the exact same shade of tan.

Fang ruffled Griffin's black and brunette marbled hair and Griffin beamed.

"So do you have everything ready for the trip, Griff? It will be a couple of hours before we reach the castle. Then, you can see uncle Iggy and auntie Nudge." Fang said to Griffin.

"And play with Gazzy! Yep! I got everything!" Griffin said as he held up a small sized leather pouch filled with random items.

"You're ready to leave?" Fang asked. Griffin nodded. Fang then swiftly picked Griffin up and walked out the door and to the balcony, and threw him over the side and in to the open air.

If you are new or not used to the normal lives and Max, Fang, and their family, you are probably freaking out at this point. Don't, seriously.

Griffin's yells could be heard below them, then suddenly, they stopped. Next, Griffin appeared flying around the sides of the balcony, with his amazing wings, which were as black as Fang's at the primary feathers, and slowly worked their way to a dark brown at the top, where all of the downy feathers were.

Griffin whooped and cackled in delight as he soared in a wide bank around a nearby pine tree, then glided over to the balcony.

There, you see? Fang is not a bad father who just throws his kid over the side of a tree house. No, in fact, Griffin enjoys the lift.

Max finally un-tangled the last snarl from Phoenix's hair, and Phoenix hobbled over to Fang.

"Daddy!" she giggled as Fang kneeled down and hugged her. Fang grinned at Max and she playfully stuck her tongue out at him as she put the brush back on a nearby table.

"I gonna go fly now. Bye Daddy, bye mommy!" said Phoenix as she walked outside the door, and jumped over the side of the balcony.

Again, don't freak.

Phoenix's maroon, ginger, and gold wings looked like a flaming fire and therefore, earned her the name 'Phoenix'. Phoenix's little five and a half foot wingspan was met be Griffin's six and three quarter foot wingspan. Yes, apparently, when you're born with wings and both your parents have wings also, you learn to fly when you're around two years old.

"Griff, you and Phoenix can fly around for a minute, Mommy and I will come out in a minute. And Griff, watch out for your sister." Fang said. Griffin nodded and he flew off with his sister.

Max clutched her growing belly, which was much larger than its normal size. Fang saw her motion out of the corner of his eye, and in a flash, he was over by her side.

"Max, sweetheart, are you alright? Do you need to rest for a second? If it's too much for you, Iggy and Nudge said in their letter that we can visit after the baby was born." Fang said.

Max smiled.

"I'm fine, Fang. The baby just kicked, that's all. Besides, Griffin and Phoenix are really looking forward to seeing Iggy, Nudge, and their kids." Max said.

"Are you sure Max, because the kids will understand if…" Max cut him off.

"Fang, I'm supposed to be the talkative one, not you. Trust me, I'm fine." Max said and Fang gave a wary smile. He really didn't want Max to go into labor in the middle of the journey where there was no one around, or worse, if there _were_ people there. The people would see the baby's wings, and that would be the end of the trip.

Max took Fang's hand and put it on her belly. The unborn baby then kicked where Fang's hand was. Fang looked at Max and his grin could've lit up the room. Max grinned back and attempted to lean over to grab the bag full of necessities for the flight over to the castle.

"Max, I've got it. With your condition and all, you shouldn't strain yourself. You could…." Max cut him off again.

"Fang, drop it with the Nudge act. I. Am. Fine. I am also perfectly capable of flying and picking up our bags. Just because I'm pregnant, does not mean that I can't kick your butt!" Max snapped. Fang rolled his beautiful, onyx eyes.

"Yeah, Max. Later. Right now, we have to go." Fang said as he stepped out and spread out his massive wings, then took off soundlessly. Max followed his example, and spread out her brown and white wings. She laboriously took off.

_Whew, flying around eight months pregnant is no picnic._ Max thought as she struggled to catch up to Fang and the kids. Not that she'd ever admit that to Fang.

Fang's gaze automatically checked up on Phoenix and Griffin, who were trying to make shapes out of clouds. Fang then glanced backwards to see Max a good ten yards behind them. Fang slowed down, and waited for Max.

Max painstakingly flew towards Fang. Max looked at Fang's stoic face. His eyes, however, revealed that he was anxious, even worried.

"Max, are you sure that you can…" Fang started, but was once again, cut off by Max.

"Fang, I can make it. I just can't fly as fast." Max said shortly. Fang said nothing else, and kept up at the same speed as Max.

The couple observed their children, who were now playing tag. With their hawk-like vision, they could make out the figure of a looming castle in the hazy distance.

Fang couldn't help but glance at Max, whose face was beaded with sweat. Her brow was furrowed with silent strain and her wing beats were slightly off balance.

Fang watched her movements, well…like a hawk, and was ready in case anything unexpected was to happen. It was rare when something went according to plan.

About fifty minutes later, Phoenix and Griffin slowed down so that they were flying just above their parents.

"Daddy, Mommy, I'm tired. Will we be there soon?" Phoenix asked in the quiet tone that she almost always used. She had the same quiet and passive demeanor as Fang did whereas Griffin was loud and a born leader, like Max.

Max couldn't help but wonder what the new baby would be like.

"We're almost there, Sweetheart. It will be just about five or ten more minutes." Fang said. Phoenix nodded tersely and she and Griffin took off ahead once again.

Fang glanced at Max, to see what condition she was in, hoping that she could make it for the remaining ten minutes of the journey.

Max was sweat covered and tried to hide her panting. She was exhausted. She wouldn't complain though. She wouldn't complain until she was about to drop out of the sky.

Fang glided a little ways ahead and swooped upward. He then slowed down until he was flying right above Max. His extensive, glistening black wings, which winked in a purple hue from the bright sunlight, completely blocked the sun off of Max.

Max smiled gratefully up at Fang. It was like he could read her mind sometimes. That sun was unforgiving and was scorching the back of her body.

Fang's lip twitched into a half smile in return.

Their little moment was interrupted, as it usually was, by the kids yelling.

"We're here! We're here!" they hollered as they swooped downward and managed to land on the large balcony where Iggy and Nudge said that they'd meet.

Max tried, but couldn't hide the relief as she and Fang glided down, and landed gracefully on the marble balcony.

Griffin and Phoenix had already snapped their wings against their backs, and were grinning in excitement.

Max tucked her wings neatly in the back of her shirt. She preferred to wear shirts and breeches, because they were much more practical to wear while flying that a dress.

She then attempted to take a step forward, but lost her footing and would have fallen, if not for Fang. He grasped her by her arms and helped her up.

He didn't need to say anything, because despite his emotionless features, his obsidian eyes were softened by a fraction of a degree.

"Thanks." murmured Max.

"It's what I'm here for." Fang said. Max smiled.

"No, you're here because I love you." She said softly. Fang smiled a genuine, real smile and kissed her sweaty forehead.

"Well so good to see you!" said a familiar male voice from behind the velvet curtains, which separated the balcony from the inside of the castle.

"Uncle Iggy!" the kids shouted in unison as they ran forward and hugged the man dressed in expensive clothes. A golden crown encrusted in jewels and the kingdom's coat-of-arms sat on the man's strawberry blond hair. His sightless eyes looked in the direction of Griffin and Phoenix's voices. He grinned broadly.

"How are my favorite niece and nephew?" Iggy chuckled as he hugged Griffin and Phoenix.

"Silly Unca' Iggy," giggled Phoenix.

"We're your _only_ niece and nephew." Griffin finished. Phoenix bobbed her head in agreement.

"And I still love you guys." Iggy said.

"And girl." Phoenix chimed in.

"Yes, and girl." Iggy said as he ruffled Phoenix's golden brown hair.

"Hey," said Max in an angry tone. "It took me a good twenty five minutes to straighten that hair, so don't mess it up."

Iggy laughed quietly. Fang had Max pulled against his chest, with his strong arms wrapped around her growing belly. She could feel the deep vibrations from his chest when he chuckled.

"We can't have her hair all messy, now can we?" said another familiar voice, this time, it was female.

"Antie Nudge!" cried the kids as they ran to Nudge, who had just emerged from the curtain. The kids ran and embraced Nudge.

"It's good to see you too." Nudge said. Just then, two blond heads poked through the curtains. Angel squealed as she ran to her female cousin. Phoenix grinned and hugged her blond, curly haired cousin. Gazzy, on the other hand, decided to go for the more masculine approach and shook Griffin's hand.

The kids exchanged excited greetings and then were led off to play. Angel led Phoenix one way and Gazzy led Griffin in a different direction.

Then, the parents had a chance to converse.

"Max, Fang, it's wonderful to see you! How was the flight over? Poor Max, I could barely walk down a staircase, let alone _fly_ when I was eight months pregnant! Oh my! You don't look good at all, Max! Do you need a glass of water or some food, or chocolate? Oh I practically needed chocolate every couple of hours when I was pregnant with Gazzy! I really didn't crave chocolate when I was pregnant with Angel, I wanted roasted pork instead. I know what you need! You need a royal bath, with essence of lavender and hot towels, and warm oils! That will do the trick!" babbled Nudge.

Before Max could protest, Nudge clapped her hands, and two maids in frilly black maid uniforms scurried out to the balcony.

"Ladies, please prepare a bath for Miss Ride. She is a very dear friend and is in dire need of some relaxation. Roxanne, please light the therapeutic candles." Nudge said sweetly to the nurses.

Max couldn't help but notice how sweet and kind Max was to the servants and staff. Her mother and Father were never nice to the servants, and treated them like scum. That was another major improvement made when Max turned the kingdom over to Nudge and Iggy.

The maids smiled sincerely and rushed off to fill Nudge's orders.

"Now, while they do that, we will pick out your dress and jewelry and other necessities. Oh my, Max!" Nudge snapped in a way that was so out of character for her.

"Just _what_ in the name of St. Patrick do you think you're wearing? Is that _men's_ clothes?" Nudge said in a horrified tone, as if men's clothing was the worst possible thing in the world. In Nudge's mind, it was.

"Oh, no! MAXIMUM RIDE, I thought that I taught you better than this! No, we have got a _lot_ of work to do. _**Men's clothes**_… just how am I supposed to react to this?" Nudge muttered as she steered a speechless, sputtering Max off the balcony and into the castle.

Iggy chuckled. Now, it was just Fang and Iggy left on the balcony.

"Same old Nudge." said Fang. Iggy nodded.

"Your kids have blond hair… I mean not your kind of blond, more like a…" Fang trailed off.

"More like a golden blond? Yeah, my mother had blond hair. It's weird how they both ended up with blond hair. They both got my blue eyes though. Angel got Nudge's curly hair. And Gazzy…" Iggy laughed again. He sure was a jolly king. "Gazzy has my fascination for everything that flames or explodes. It drives Nudge crazy."

Fang's lips tilted in a half smile that was lost to Iggy, who obviously couldn't see it.

"So, how's the kingdom's politics coming along? Is anyone causing any trouble?" Fang asked, trying to keep up his end of the conversation.

"All is well. It's very quiet on the war front, which is good. The peace is great." Iggy said.

"The peace remains, that is, until you blow up a poor famer's barn with one of your exploding contraptions gone wrong." Fang chortled.

"Hey, that only happened once and I totally paid for it! The guy was rich afterwards!" Iggy protested.

"Hey, are we going to go inside? If not, I could stretch my wings." Fang said with sarcasm. Iggy rolled his sightless eyes and walked inside. Fang laughed silently and followed his friend into the castle.

A few hours later, everyone except for Max and Nudge were seated at the long, dark wooded banquet table in the stone dining hall. A cheery fire roared in the hearth.

Phoenix, who now had a little silk bow holding a neat braid in place, was seated next to Fang.

"Daddy," whispered Phoenix to Fang. Fang looked down at his adorable daughter.

"Yes, Sweetheart?" Fang said quietly.

"Why are there so many forks? And spoons? I only need one." she said. Fang smiled a small smile.

"I don't really know, just pick your favorite and use it." Fang answered. Phoenix smiled and nodded. She went back to talking with Angel, who was seated next to her. Fang heard Griffin ask the same question to Gazzy, who laughed and kindly explained what each one was for. Fang knew that Griffin would just do what Phoenix would do, and pick one and use it for the entire meal.

Fang was observing the exquisite dining room and elegant silverware, when two beautiful women descended the main staircase, which could be seen through the large, open doors.

One had a dark skin tone, and was dressed in a caramel colored gown, with intricate white designs all over it. White lace finished the gown. The darker skinned woman, who was obviously Nudge, wore large diamond earrings and sparkling silk shoes. A delicate, white jeweled necklace was strung around her neck. Nudge was beautiful, but she wasn't the one that Fang was staring at.

Max wore a midnight azure dress. The gown was long sleeved and looked that the fabric was the trimmed from the night sky itself. Tiny diamonds were sewn with a random precision into the fabric, and glittered like stars in the lighting from the extravagant chandeliers.

Max's light skin glowed radiantly as she neared the table, and the flickering firelight made the 'stars' on her dress twinkle. Max had her hair up and somehow, little jewels were intertwined in her hair as well. Max's shoes almost seemed to be perfectly carved from large diamonds.

Another thing struck Fang, Max was wearing makeup. She was gorgeous, but Fang thought that she was striking without makeup.

Max was so beautiful, that her grandeur totally distracted the viewer from her big belly. However, Fang thought that her baby bump was one of the most beautiful things about her.

When Max neared her seat next to Fang, he stood and pulled her chair out for her. He smiled, knowing that the chivalry would silently annoy Max. She was very headstrong, and liked to do things for herself, like pulling her chair out for herself.

To Fang's surprise, Max smiled graciously and sat in the chair. Stunned, but not showing it, Fang pushed the chair back in, and sat down.

Who was this girl, and what had she done to that arrogant, impulsive Max that he loved so much?

Max read Fang's almost imperceptible look and whispered,

"Nudge is forcing me to be 'ladylike', otherwise she swore that she would send dresses, makeup, shoes, and perfume to our house. Where would I put all of that useless stuff?"

Fang smirked.

"You look beautiful." Fang whispered in a voice that sent shivers of pleasure down her spine. She blushed. She was about to make a smart comment about Fang's regular, un-extravagant clothes, when Iggy stood.

"Well, since everyone's here, chef, bring out the food!" Iggy said as the kitchen doors opened and a parade of scullions and cooks came out with delectable, eye pleasing food on silver trays and platters.

After the steaming and chilled food was placed on the table, everyone piled their plates high with food.

"Do you always have dinner like this?" Max asked in wonder.

"No, we usually have appetizers, then the main course, but since it's just you guys, we decided that we could lay off a few of the courses." Iggy said with a straight face. Nudge abruptly whacked Iggy's arm. Iggy winced at the sudden impact.

"Iggy!" Nudge hissed. "No Max, we usually eat much more modest meals, but since you guys were visiting, we decided to make it a special occasion. And don't be shy. I know that royalty is supposed to take small portions at a time, but we don't care. Heck, take as much as you want. We think that it's a stupid rule anyways. As long as you eat it, it doesn't matter. What are we sitting around talking for, let's eat!" Nudge prattled. She then took a bite of food.

The table laughed at Nudge's chatter.

"What did I say?" said Nudge after she swallowed.

"Everything." Iggy said as he began eating as well. The rest of the group began feasting as well. Nudge would have been appalled by the superfluous amount of food that Max was consuming, but she was not at all surprised when Fang and his kids ate as much as Max did. Nudge had lived with Max for a long time, and knew that she ate a lot. She assumed that it was part of having wings.

A little while later, dessert was brought out, and Gazzy, Angel, Phoenix and Griffin all gasped in awe. There was dessert delicately carved and crafter into elaborate shapes. There was a cake marvelously carved into the almost exact likeness of the castle. There was pudding that was decorated as exquisitely as Max's dress. And there were hundreds of cookies cut and frosted in sophisticated shapes.

"Kids, don't make yourselves sick." Max chided. The kids nodded, still in shock. Nudge and Iggy grinned at the children's expressions.

"Max, don't make yourself sick." Fang scolded in the same tone that Max had used for the children. Max playfully swatted the side of Fang's head.

After the amazing dessert, the kids were tired, and decided to go to bed. Angel insisted that Phoenix would sleep over in her room and Gazzy said the same thing to Griffin. Neither person refused.

After chatting in one of the many parlors, Max and Fang went to check up on their kids. Nudge had a maid show them the way to Gazzy and Angel's rooms, since the castle was so complicated, immense, and maze-like.

They first came to Angel's room. Angel was sprawled out, but taking up little space on the emperor size mattress. Phoenix was curled up, with her wings out and loosely splayed out behind her.

Next, they came to Gazzy's room. The bed was empty. Instead, there was a fort made of sheets erected in the center of the room. Gazzy was dozing soundlessly on his side while Griffin was sleeping on his stomach, with his wings lazily draped across the blanket.

Max and Fang smiled, said goodnight to Iggy and Nudge once again for their hospitality, and were led to a very large guest room, probably used for visiting dignitaries. Fang slept in the same manner as Griffin, on his stomach with his wings spread out in a relaxed position.

Max, on the other hand, laid on her back, staring at the high silk canopy towering over her. She still smelled faintly of lavender. She was currently in a satin nightgown, and Fang was shirtless.

Max wondered what life would have been like if she had kept the throne. Surely the kingdom wouldn't be as peaceful as it was now. With taxes low and enemies nonexistent, the kingdom was at the beginning of a golden age.

Surely the people would have rebelled if they knew that a winged person was ruling.

However, Max contemplated her children's look of wonder as they gazed at the desserts and food. Would they really be happier living as princes and princesses?

Then, Max remembered the dark side of the job as a ruling monarch. She had almost sacrificed her relationship with Fang because of her responsibilities as a ruler. She remembered her life as a child, when she rarely saw her parents because they were always gone or hiding her from the public.

She didn't want to have to do that to her kids. They would constantly have to hide their wings, but both she and Fang knew that their wings were a part of them, and they were never truly happy until they could be themselves for who they were, for all that they were.

That would never happen if they were constantly in the eye of the public. That's when Max finally fell asleep, fully relaxed, because it was then when she knew that she had made the right choice.

They were free and happy, and free to be who they were, and that was were true happiness was, not in possessions or riches.

She was happy, and with Fang who had showed her the most valuable lesson that she had ever learned; In order to love, you have to love yourself, and love is true happiness.

**THE END!**

**So yeah. That was my ending. Please tell me if it was corny! I was going to wait until a midnight, so that I could be one of the first people to post something in 2011. However, I am not that patient, so I'll give it to you early. REVIEW! Like I said, please, please review. I worked really hard on this chapter. Anyways, this my last update for 2010. Much more will come in the new year! I already have two new stories planned!**


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